


The Green Lantern

by NotSoEvilPanda (Alexis_Payton)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Canon Divergent from 5x13, Excessive Drinking, Extra!Lena xD, F/F, Humour, Mildest of Angst, Sapphic, Smut, SuperCorp, Superhero!Lena, Superheroes, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:13:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 39,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24842851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexis_Payton/pseuds/NotSoEvilPanda
Summary: No matter how hard she tried, or where she looked, Lena Luthor simply couldn’t find one single fuck to give. Probably too busy drunkenly stumbling upon man-sized glow worms in the middle of the desert…
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 258
Kudos: 725





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please curb your expectations regarding Supergirl and Green Lantern canon. I don’t care that much about either. I’m writing this solely to envision Lena in that Green Lantern suit. And for that, I thank myself.

Lena’s kitchen cupboards were empty. As was her fridge. She decided to entirely ignore the mouldy—fruit?—stuck in the corner of the bottom drawer and instead stared at the singular egg in her home, all unassuming as it sat strangely in the centre of an empty plastic tray of six. Uncertain as to when it was bought, she was wary to crack it open and see what was happening inside.

Deciding to close the door on that possible disaster, she examined her pink fluffy slippers, the red plaid pyjama bottoms she wore beneath a long, grey robe and black tank top, and contemplated whether she felt like changing her clothes to go buy groceries.

She didn’t.

A furtive glance around her kitchen showed stacks of empty containers lining her counters and the kitchen island. Some empty, others not so much.

After a wary sniff, she grimaced. Her garbage bin was overflowing and she’d used every single one of her plates and cutlery, all of them stacked high in and around the double sinks above her no doubt full dishwasher. Getting groceries would require a cleaner kitchen to cook in…

Cancelling her cleaning service had been the worst idea, but she’d hated getting up and opening her door for people to move around her while she sat and stared at her television, or just laid in bed. Paying someone to come and judge her in her own home had not helped her mental state at all.

She could order Chinese again. That wouldn’t require her to clean anything.

Though, maybe she should go out… If she went in her car, she could go through a drive-thru and wouldn’t need to change clothes…

How long has it been since she was outside?

Her cell phone vibrated from somewhere and simply to distract herself from deciding what to do, Lena went to look at the screen, discovering it beneath a pizza box with one, rock-hard, mouldy slice in it. A private encrypted number was calling and she had no doubt it was Lex again.

She huffed out a laugh. He would take one look at her and brag about how she clearly needed him.

The thought alone had her pulling off her clothes and walking toward the shower before she could talk herself out of it.

The warm water felt heavenly and being clean lifted her mood considerably. It boosted her energy and she dressed in black jeans, boots and a soft, dark-red, V-Neck cashmere sweater that made her groan when it settled deliciously against her skin. The jeans were a bit loose and she had to put on a belt to keep them up, as was her bra, despite her tightening the straps. But that was fine, wasn’t like she planned on going for a jog through National City. Though a walk would probably do her some good.

Wrapping a dark-grey woollen scarf around her neck, she grabbed her purse and took the elevator down to the lobby.

Bill held the door for her. He was seventy-three years old. Lena knew that because she got him a present every year for his birthday. Well, she got her assistants to get him a present. Still sprightly, the majority of his wrinkles were deep laugh lines around kind blue-grey eyes and at the corners of his white moustached mouth.

“Good to see you again, Ms Luthor,” he said with such genuineness, it nearly made her burst into tears.

“Likewise, Bill,” she softly replied, having needed to stop herself from thanking him for caring enough to have noticed her not walking through the door that often anymore.

She knew it was his job to know the residents, but he never made it feel that way.

Stepping out onto the sidewalk, the sun setting over the tall buildings made her feel small and comfortingly insignificant and she eagerly began walking. Though there was nothing fresh about National City’s air, it was cool and crisp and got her lungs working.

She walked for nearly thirty minutes until she stopped outside of Noonan’s, the sun gone and her stomach actually rumbling when the scent of food hit her nose. Knowing the menu by heart, but still unsure as to what she wanted, she glanced around the inside, briefly wondered if she should sit down when a server eagerly eyed her, and spotted familiar blond hair and a cute pair of glasses Lena had come to despise.

Kara was already staring at her, mouth agape like Lena was some sort of apparition and she had to drag her gaze from those pretty blue eyes, to look at the back of the man sat opposite Kara. Lena didn’t recognise him and judging by the way she was dressed, Kara was definitely on a date.

Because of course she was.

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Lena spun on her heel and rushed out the doors. Her head swam and her ears buzzed, muffled by outrage at the utter audacity of Kara Danvers to continue living her life when Lena’s had come to a grinding halt. And who went on a date to Noonan’s anyway? Who went on a _dinner_ date to a place that specialised in breakfast pastries and lunches? Kara’s taste in men was abhorrent.

Familiar fingers wrapped around her wrist. Tentative, yet the simple touch had Lena crashing to a stop.

“Don’t touch me,” she rasped, not nearly as powerfully as she’d intended, but any louder and she might have burst into tears right there on the sidewalk.

“Sorry,” Kara said, quickly letting go and taking her in. No doubt noting the pasty dullness of Lena’s skin. The dark circles beneath her eyes and the way her hair limply hung from her scalp. She should’ve made more of an effort before coming out. At least put on some makeup. She’d been too proud of herself for having even made the attempt at all that she forgot how far from her usual standard she’d fallen.

“What do you want?” she whispered. Not understanding why Kara had left her date to chase after her through the city.

“Are you okay?”

“Don’t act like you care.”

“I’m not acting.” Kara seemed affronted by the accusation and Lena laughed bitterly.

“Go back to your date, I was simply trying to get something to eat. Rest assured I’m not doing anything _villainous_ , or would you like me to leave your city entirely?”

The thought was actually comforting, maybe she should just move and get as far away from Supergirl as she could.

“It’s not a date,” Kara denied, “and I haven’t seen you in months…No one has. You weren’t picking up your phone… For a while I did think you left.”

“Until you flew by and spied on me?”

“You weren’t answering your phone, Lena.”

“And you needed to ensure I wasn’t up to anything nefarious.”

“No, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Lena laughed dryly. “You flew into my home to tell me that you were done fighting. You decided you’d done enough for our friendship. You decided that I simply wasn’t worth the effort anymore—”

“Lena that’s not—”

“Everything I worked for meant _nothing_ ,” Lena hissed. “L-Corp never existed. Lex just took that away from me as though moving to National City hadn’t been the bravest thing I’d ever done.”

“You still did it though. Lena—”

“The closest most important friendship I had, meant _nothing_ ,” she continued, hating the tears down her cheeks and watched the way Kara seemed to reel as though slapped. “It wasn’t real.”

“It was—”

“The way Supergirl made me feel was very real, yes.”

“Lena, I apologised—”

“You gave up on me,” Lena choked out. “You lost any right to call me up to check whether I’m okay. You lost your friendship privileges when you played me like a fool and lied to my face.”

She hated the tears in Kara’s eyes that still made her feel the urge to comfort her. And how many times were they going to have this same fight? How many times would it continue to rip Lena’s insides apart?

“ _Kara?_ ”

Kara didn’t seem to hear the man that walked up behind her, only turning to look when Lena stared at him.

“Just a second, William,” Kara said and turned back to her, but Lena had had enough.

“Leave me alone!” she demanded, spun around and stalked off.

She wasn’t sure where she was going, blindly power-walking until she reached the waterfront, and needed to catch her breath. The boardwalk was busy, vendors with stalls and carts were lit up with bright lights. Lena wondered whether she should buy something to eat, but her appetite was gone and she remembered why she’d been blindly staring at empty cupboards in the first place and went to buy a bottle of scotch as her personal bar had run dry.

She wandered aimlessly down the pier, sipping on the scotch poorly disguised in a paper bag. The liquor burned down her throat and warmed her belly while she stared at the sky, which of course was dark and gloomy; overcast with not a star in sight.

The absolute nerve of Kara.

By no means did she expect Kara to blindly let her get away with her insanity, and Lena could admit now that her plans with Myriad had been insane, but to just show up and wash her hands of her, like the previous three years hadn’t meant anything? Her utter inability to see that Lena had still been trying to do good? And now, tonight, to be happily going on dates and then chase her down the street and pretend to care?

Maybe if Kara hadn’t constantly been sending mixed signals, Lena wouldn’t have gone completely crazy.

She laughed out loud and sniffed at her burning nose. Blinking rapidly as the night air made her tears feel icy cold against her cheeks. It wasn’t Kara’s fault that Lena had been madly in love with her since that first lunch they’d shared. It _was_ Kara’s fault though, for treating her like dirt as Supergirl. For carrying on two entirely different and conflicting relationships with her. And how? How does a person do that to someone they supposedly care about?

Lena stared over the railing at the dark, murky, waves crashing down below.

Earth-Prime was a better place, but Lena had nothing. No job. No friends. No purpose. No wonder she’d thrown herself behind Non Nocere. Lex had planned it perfectly, and had her right where he’d wanted her: Isolated, vulnerable and broken-hearted; disgustingly desperate to feel of worth.

It was a fleeting thought, to maybe jump into the icy waters and have everything stop for good. Lena was startled by it, and shakily stepped away from the railing, tripped over nothing and was promptly swept up into the air.

She screamed.

Arms flailing, she tried to hit whatever was carrying her, but when she eventually had the courage to open her eyes, she saw only a green haze wrapped around her body like a bubble of smoke. Nothing else, as she twisted and turned and the ball of green carried her further away from National City’s lights, over the dark desert until she collided with something solid, with an undignified grunt.

Her feet sunk into loose sand and arms wrapped around her, steadying her. Lena grabbed onto a large pair of biceps, far bigger than she was familiar with, and looked up into strange milky blue eyes covered by a green mask staring down at her.

She _screamed_.

Struggling against the light grip, she was let go, stumbling in the sand and was steadied again, which caused her to scream again at the strange man holding her forearm with a white gloved hand.

“Ma’am, please stop,” he calmly asked.

“Let go of me!”

She was instantly let go, fell on her ass and glared up at him.

He wore a green and black body suit that was so tight it almost grotesquely lined his lean muscular form. The symbol on his chest glowed a soft green, like kryptonite, and her lips curled in distaste, but she calmed slightly when he took a step back and lifted his hands in supplication.

Lena backed up a little and then got to her feet, the adrenaline making her realise how tipsy she was. Not enough to hallucinate though, but they said that alcoholics often got drunk faster… Was she an alcoholic?

“What do you want?” she asked.

“Hi,” he said and flashed her a white, straight-toothed grin she supposed he thought was charming. “The name’s Hal Jordan. Member of the Green Lantern Corps.” He finished, and placed his fists on his hips, striking a power pose.

Lena rolled her eyes. “Great, just what I need. More self-aggrandising superheroes in my life.”

She scoffed and looked around, spotted National City’s lights in the distance and started waddling through the sand toward civilization. She’d dropped her purse at some point, and her scotch, which was just _fantastic_. Thinking about all she would need to do to cancel her cards and get new licensing and identification gave her a splitting headache not even her drunkenness could stop.

The green man fell into step beside her and Lena knew that she should be more scared, but she just didn’t have the energy to care that much.

“You’re not going to ask why you’re here?” he wondered.

“You apparently brought me here in some anti-gravitational ball.”

“You don’t want to know why?”

“No.”

“Huh…”

Lena continued dragging her feet through the desert sand, her adrenaline waning, and she couldn’t remember when last she ate anything, let alone exercised. Her head spun as her heart continued to painfully hammer against her ribs to try and keep up with the strenuous activity.

“Hey, lady, you don’t look that great... Can you at least tell me your name?”

“You kidnapped me at random?” Lena breathlessly wondered.

“I chose you. Well not me. I didn’t choose. The ring chose you.”

Lena stopped and pressed her hands above her knees, breathing through her burning throat and lungs. She wasn’t as dizzy when she wasn’t upright, though now she was getting a little nauseous.

The green man made sure to stay a few feet away and in her line of sight. “What was your name again?”

“Hal. Hal Jordan.”

“And you call yourself what?”

“Some call me the Green Lantern, though there are many—”

“And this ring business…?”

He extended his right hand and Lena saw a ring glowing green on the middle finger. “It gives you cool powers.”

“And you didn’t call yourself the Green Ring because…?”

He laughed. “I don’t make the rules. And there is a lantern that I’ll give to you too,” he hunched down so she didn’t have to strain to look up at him through her bent position. “I promise, I mean you no harm.”

“Perhaps not intentionally, but somehow those with the best intentions tend to hurt people the most.”

“Whoa, that was deep. Of course the ring would choose someone dark and broody. At least you’re hot, continuing our winning streak.” He flashed another grin and Lena rolled her eyes and sat down in the sand. Immediately feeling better.

Her stomach grumbled loudly and Hal Jordan tilted his head.

“Do you need some food?”

Lena contemplated it for a while, relenting when her stomach rumbled again and cramped over nothing. “I want eight tacos from the food truck on the boardwalk down by the waterfront please. Four steak, two shrimp, two vegetarian and two Cokes.”

“A woman after my own heart,” he said and then his ring glowed green and he flew off. Into the sky. Looking like a glow-worm.

Lena laughed to herself and laid on her back. She _was_ hallucinating. The desert air was nice though, despite it being a little chilly. She’d somehow miraculously not lost her scarf and used it as a pillow to stare up at the sky. The moon was near full and lit up the night enough to be able to see. The clouds seemed to part for her, showing her the stars and Lena smiled, her cheeks twitching at how foreign the action felt.

She scowled when the Green Idiot returned, but he carried two bags filled with delicious smelling tacos and Lena sat up, her head spinning so she stayed where she was, quietly accepted the bag, digging in when he sat down opposite her and reached for his own.

It was on her second taco and half a can of Coke later, that Lena noticed he’d taken off his mask. He was handsome in a way, with kind, what could be brown, eyes if she ever saw them in the light and seemed harmless enough. But those were the ones you needed to watch out for.

The ones like Kara fucking Danvers with her stupid angelic face.

“Why haven’t I heard of you, Green Lantern?” she asked. Even if he was an awful hero or villain, he glowed and could fly and that would’ve grabbed some attention. Not that Lena had been following the news for the past couple of months…Maybe he was new? Supergirl seemed to like adding to her super posse, especially men. As though a costume helped them to pretend they were even remotely close to being as strong as her. James had tried to play hero with Kara, and tried to play CEO with her, whilst not being qualified for either. At least he ran off to pursue the things he was actually good at and interested in.

“I hadn’t been home for a long time and when I came back, I found out my Earth was destroyed.”

“Oh. Sorry to hear that,” she mumbled and tried to slow down her eating, in no mood to deal with a stomach ache in the desert.

“So you’re aware that a multiverse existed in this dimension?”

She nodded and finished her Coke.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, when he handed her another.

“Are you homeless? Is there somewhere safe I can take you? Someone I can contact if you’re not comfortable with me taking you anywhere?”

Lena laughed, her eyes blurring with tears at this stranger who she should be afraid of, being kind to her. How void of human interaction was she? When last had someone touched her?

Her arm burned where Kara’s long and gentle fingers had taken hold earlier.

“I have no one,” she said, flashed him a manic grin and shoved the rest of the smoky steak taco into her mouth.

“Ah, a lost soul,” he muttered and nodded sagely, falling silent and Lena wondered if they were just going to sit there out in the desert all by themselves, when his skin-tight onesie disappeared and was replaced with jeans, a pair of converse, and a black hoodie. He shifted a little closer to her and before she could panic, she caught the pleading look in his eyes and then followed his gaze to where a red and blue streak flew up.

Supergirl landed on the sand and stared opened-mouthed between them, before she shook her head and placed her fists on her hips.

Lena burst out laughing.

“Can we help you, Supergirl?” Hal asked.

She picked up a vegetarian taco and examined it, before taking a bite. No doubt she had made a mess of herself, but did she care? No, she really didn’t. The food was acting almost like a drug in the way she was hit with a wave of euphoria.

Supergirl looked a bit constipated. “Do you—there have been reports of a green light—what are you two doing in the middle of the desert?”

“That’s private,” Hal said and Lena flashed him a grin and scooted closer.

“Yes, we’re here doing private things. Please leave us alone,” she said and took another sip of Coke.

It was probably the sugar and caffeine that had gone to her head.

Lena drank some more of it.

“Uhm, sorry to interrupt.” Kara frowned and looked around. “Do you need help getting back to the city?”

“No. My lover Hal Jordan will get me home safely, now please leave.”

Lena regretted it as soon as she said it, not only because of how utterly absurd she sounded, but also because Kara actually looked hurt and then Lena got angry again because why was she sad right now when she had _William_. And did he know? Did Kara tell him?

“Does he know you’re Supergirl?” she asked, her voice rising and cracking with anger and humiliation. Kara flinched. “All this flying off you do on your dates will be highly suspicious. Not everyone is as gullible as I am, you know.”

Kara stared at Hal, then looked back at her with a pained expression.

“Lena—”

“Go find your green flying things. We’re busy.”

Kara clenched her jaw and shot up into the sky like a gorgeous rocket.

A few long moments passed, Hal probably trying to ensure Kara was gone and then he let out a long whistle.

“Wow. That was—”

“Juvenile,” Lena said and sighed. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“She hurt you.”

“Yes. I hurt her too, but at least I feel bad about it.”

“She seems like she still cares.”

“Because she cares about everyone. Giant martyr complex.”

“Ready to get out of here? I want to tell you more, but now I feel like we’re being watched. I could put up a shield, but that would probably cause more suspicion.”

“We can go to my apartment.”

“So you believe me?”

“I don’t care enough to believe you. I just need to get home. It’s getting cold out here.”

He got up, his suit moulding to his body again, mask on and held out a gloved hand that she took and allowed him to help her up. They gathered their trash and leftovers, then he extended his arms. “Promise I won’t drop you.”

Lena rolled her eyes, trying not to think of the last time someone had carried her bridal style and allowed herself to be picked up by this stranger who had shown her more kindness in one night than she’d received in almost a year.

🖤💚🖤

Gonna go with this suit, with Ryan Reynold’s Hal Jordan. Don’t like his movie suit. Or the movie for that matter. But I like him though. Would’ve pegged him if I wasn’t so gay.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the interest in this fic! As stated, my sole motivation in writing this, is Lena in a GL suit, though I will try my best not to blaspheme Green Lantern lore too much in the process. The fic is still a Kara/Lena romance, so we’re gonna keep Lena on Earth with Hal “Exposition” Jordan. The reader will learn as Lena does so really don’t stress that you don’t know much about GL canon. I’ll be making use of a combination of comic, animated series and movie lore to seamlessly blend with the shit I make up for the sake of plot <3
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Hal gently landed on Lena’s balcony and carefully placed her on her feet though she still somehow managed to stumble her way inside. She’d hoped the food and flight would sober her up, but to no avail.

“You’re comfortable with me coming inside?” he asked, worriedly looking her over.

“Yes, I’m wearing a chastity belt that will electrocute you if you touch me inappropriately,” she absently replied and pushed some empty cartons of takeout and dirty paper plates from her coffee table, grinning in triumph when she found her tablet. “Please have a seat,” she said and motioned to the couch, still starkly white, which only made the dark stains on it that much more noticeable. “It’s tea, probably some whiskey, no bodily fluids, I swear,” she reassured. “Uhm, some curry too…maybe.”

He sat down, awkwardly looking around her dirty apartment while Lena sat on the floor and plugged her tablet into its charger.

“Uh…Nice place…”

“Thank you,” she mumbled, powering the tablet on.

“You gonna tell me your name…? I know it’s Lena, but is that short for anything? Is it fine if I use it too? Do you have a surname?”

“Lena Luthor.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“No comment on my brother?”

“Who’s your brother?”

“Lex Luthor…”

“Can’t say I know him.”

“That must be nice,” she muttered and went back to tapping her tablet screen.

“No, wait, Legion of Doom Lex Luthor?”

Lena lifted a brow. “That sounds extremely apt, but no.”

“Tell me about Lena Luthor’s brother on Earth-Prime.”

Lena confusedly wondered why he was asking her in such a strange way, when a few holographs were projected in front of him, detailing information about Lex and she gaped when even his involvement in the destruction of the multiverse was detailed like a video recording. Hal didn’t seem to be reading what he saw, though his eyes rapidly flicked from side-to-side almost as though he was in a trance-like state, while he seemingly ‘absorbed’ the information.

_Fascinating._

“Huh,” he eventually said.

Lena snorted. “Yep,” she agreed and tapped through her security system, lowering the reinforced steel shutters on her windows and the balcony doors, and the room was cast in a red glow. From her ceiling, two small turrets emerged and aimed at Hal who raised his hands in the air.

“Whoa, Lena, come on, I thought we had a great time on our fake-date?”

“Are you really surprised? There was no point in fighting you alone in the desert, I needed to get you somewhere where I had more control.”

“Brilliant.” Hal nodded. “I’m both impressed and terrified.”

“Thank you. You really shouldn’t go home with strangers. It’s not safe.”

He grinned. “At least now we know why the ring chose you.”

“Let’s start there,” Lena said, trying to act more sober than she was. “Tell me about this ring and what you think it’s chosen me for.”

“Can I take out the ring?”

“It’s on your finger.”

“That one’s mine.”

“Just so you know, I installed this security system when I was very sad and angry and it’s enough to take down a Kryptonian very quickly and violently so I wouldn’t try anything if I were you.”

“Noted. Only gonna reach into my pocket,” he said, his suit turning back into clothes and kept one hand raised while the other did as he said. “This one’s yours,” he announced with a smile and slowly leaned forward to place a replica of his own green ring on the coffee table, then sat back, hands still up in the air.

Lena rolled her eyes. “You may lower your hands, just don’t make any sudden movements, like standing up, the turrets are automated and able to track at superspeed so I won’t be able to stop them from shooting you.”

It was a bluff. They wouldn’t be able to track Kara’s speed, though they were fast. Lena doubted the Glow Worm was as fast as Kara, though.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said and lowered his hands. “Members of the Green Lantern Corps are tasked to protect the universe.”

“Impressive,” she deadpanned.

“I was assigned to Sector 2814 many years ago.”

“And Earth is Sector 2814?”

“One planet of hundreds.”

“You sure did a lot of protecting while the multiverse was destroyed and trillions of lives were lost.”

Hal nodded sadly. “My home was lost too, if you remember, and I lost my partner.”

“You’re gay?”

“What?”

“You lost your partner?”

“A bit of an old-school assumption, isn’t it? Do the kids still use that as code for gay these days?”

“I have no idea.”

Hal nodded. “There are 3600 sectors in the known universe. Each with two Green Lanterns to guard them. I guarded Space Sector 2814 with my non-romantic partner, John Stewart. We made a packed that if anything were to happen to one of us, the other would guide his replacement through initiation.”

Lena’s eyebrows rose into her hairline. “That seems like both a lot of you, and yet still a small number considering the estimated size of the universe.”

“Exactly. There aren’t enough of us and that’s how we managed to miscalculate the level of threat for the Earth worlds of this dimension.”

Lena squinted while her scotch brain tried to follow along.

“We knew the Anti-Monitor was planning something. John came to investigate. I needed to go to Oa, because Sinestro put together an army that’s been targeting the Green Lantern Corp.”

“Oa?”

“Home and headquarters to the Guardians of the Universe who oversee the Green Lantern Corps. It’s like a base of operations for us and contains the Main Power Battery that’s charged by the Guardians and that energy is then broadcasted to the personal Power Batteries of all Green Lanterns.”

She blinked very slowly and filed all of that away in her brain folder of things to ponder on later.

“So…your partner died when the multiverse was destroyed?” she brought them back on topic before she got entirely distracted.

“Yes. He died when the Earths converged and the ring brought his body here to Earth-Prime. To you.”

“Did he try to stop the destruction?”

“He didn’t realise exactly what the Anti-Monitor was planning to do, only that he was planning something to aid Sinestro’s cause.”

“The Anti-Monitor is part of this Sinestro’s army targeting Green Lanterns?”

“Yes.”

“Which means it’s the Green Lantern Corps that was responsible for the destruction of multiple worlds?”

“Whoa, okay. Blame the victim, much?”

Lena rolled her eyes. “What does this Sinestro want?”

“To rule the universe through fear.”

“Nice,” Lena dully stated. “Say I believe any of this. Why would that ring choose me out of everyone?”

“I don’t know.”

“There aren’t any requirements? Any random person can just put on that ring and gain the power of spandex?”

Hal’s eyes narrowed and Lena smirked.

“You’re mean.”

She shrugged.

“I got you tacos.”

“You made me lose my purse and my scotch. Not the best way to get on my good side.”

“Well, I apologise, but your first time is going a lot better than mine did.”

“How did yours go?”

“I found a crashed spaceship and a fatally injured Ungaran who gave me the ring and then promptly died. I had to figure things out for myself until I was sucked up into space and to another planet where I got my ass handed to me by a variety of Green Lanterns who hated my guts.”

“I feel like you deserved some of that.”

“ _So_ mean.”

Lena grinned. “What do you want to happen here? I put on the ring, I glow green, and you and I fly off into the sunset to save the universe?”

Hal snorted. “You put on the ring. I help you understand your powers and you practice to control them. Then we eliminate whoever Sinestro sends here to take control of Earth-Prime, and _then_ we go join the corps, to save the universe.”

Lena frowned and searched his face. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“The Anti-Monitor made sure that the multiverse was destroyed. All the Earths in this dimension are now neatly packaged into one for easier control. We’ve had Sinestro’s army pinned on various planets for the last few months, but he’s called in a large contingent and we suspect he’ll be sending someone for Earth soon. We’ll need to be ready.”

Lena bit her lip and stared at the ring. It seemed to call to her, the hairs at the back of her neck prickling, but she blinked and shook it off as her drunk brain playing tricks on her.

“No, thank you.”

“You don’t want to save the world?”

“Been there, done that.” She tapped her tablet screen and switched off her security system. “Best you go look for another partner, Mr. Jordan.”

“It’s not my decision,” he said, standing slowly, face pulled in disappointment.

His ring glowed and the green and black uniform settled over his body again.

“The ring’s power is limitless. Only mitigated by the wielder’s willpower.

Lena scoffed. “Willpower?”

“Judging by all this repressed energy you have going on, you’re clearly using your willpower toward self-destruction.”

“You don’t know me.”

“No. But the ring chose you and I trust that it had its reasons. The only other known requirement is for the wielder to possess the ability to overcome fear.” He stared at Lena so long that she had to avert her gaze.

“There’s your answer then. It can’t possibly mean me.”

“I can imagine some shit has happened to you recently, perhaps even some long-term pervasive shit you’ve been dealing with all your life, and that’s why you’re in this place you’re in right now, but Sinestro Corps is waging war as we speak. People are dying. Genocides are happening. Earth-Prime is in danger. We need to be ready to defend Earth and then go join the war effort in Oa. The ring chose you. It’s useless to anyone else now.”

He then grabbed the bag with the remaining tacos and flew out over the balcony.

Lena sat staring at the ring for a long while after, until she laid down on the carpet and fell asleep.

🖤💚🖤

She woke to the sun shining brightly through her balcony doors, directly on her face. Her mouth was dry and tasted awful. Thankfully her head only lightly throbbed, along with the dull ache in her stiff neck. When she slowly rose to a sitting position, the green glow of the ring caught her eye.

She’d thought it was a dream. Some dumb whiskey-induced fever dream.

Groaning, she got up and headed for the shower, needing to clear her mind and think.

She brushed her teeth, pulled on a pair of sweats and a T-Shirt, then went to stare at the ring for a while, before absently cleaning the living room around it.

If only she had access to a proper lab. One that didn’t have any association with Lex. The ring Hal had, clearly had powers. What if this one was a trap? Why would he want to trick _her_ , though? To get to Lex? He seemed to honestly not know who Lex was and moreover, he knew about the multiverse and the anti-Monitor…

Lena realised she should’ve asked more questions and went to clean her kitchen, ordering groceries online to be delivered same-day. The smell of clean tiles and the sight of clear counters made her breathe easier and she made a pot of tea, sat down on a white spot on the couch, and stared at the ring some more.

The utter impossibility of the ring enabling him to fly would’ve been easier to explain away had Lena not been aware of Legion rings existing. Alien technology had often left her curious, frustrated and perplexed in the best of ways. The usual rules of physics and quantum mechanics didn’t seem to apply, especially when words like _magic_ was being thrown around that came with its own set of rules and laws that she just simply hasn’t had the opportunity to explore or truly wrap her head around.

The way Hal changed from his suit to casual clothes wasn’t nanotech either. Not in the transformation, nor in the feel of it. Lena had been pressed up against it on their flight home and what she felt couldn’t even be described as fabric or any other texture she knew of.

Her heart thudded excitedly and she bit her lip.

She should try it on at least.

Attempting to think of safety precautions was difficult when her mind seemed to only get stuck on ‘ _Fuck it. Why not_?’ What did she have to lose? At least she would know for sure if Hal was being serious. Good science was all about taking risks and pushing limits...

She reached out a trembling hand and the ring seemed to glow a little when she neared it, or had it been glowing like that the entire time? Tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes, then jumped in her skin when her phone loudly rang beside her.

Exhaling a shaky laugh, she answered Bill’s call, who informed her that her delivery was downstairs and told him to send it up. She looked in the small decorative mirror in her living room, at her hair that had dried in long loose waves and shrugged. Barefoot, she made her way to the door, realising only then she had no purse, and went to where she’d placed some change from her last delivery next to the microwave and thankfully found some crumbled notes. She’d included a tip when she paid online, but it always felt strange to not give the person something in exchange for the delivery.

The doorbell rang and Lena opened her front door, accepting the bags from what looked like a fifteen-year-old boy, but he had to be older though, to work for the company? She didn’t care that much to dwell on it, and placed the bags inside, next to the door, gave him his tip and watched him walk to the elevator, because sometimes they lingered, texting or on a call, and then Bill would come all the way up to check whether she was okay.

When the elevator opened to let him in, Kara Danvers stepped out, all yellow sundress and golden hair, as bright and brilliant as the sun itself, and what the fuck was she doing there? The boy smiled widely at her, but Kara was anxiously staring at Lena, seeming to battle with herself, but then adjusted her glasses and slowly walked forward, while the elevator took her drooling admirer away.

“I’m taking you off of the list,” the words spilt out of Lena’s mouth and sometimes she thought she wasn’t angry at Kara anymore and then a white-hot rage would just hit her out of nowhere again. At times she couldn’t even remember why she was angry, but then Kara would do something like show up at her home uninvited and—

“I’m sorry,” Kara softly said and held out what Lena took too long to recognise as her lost purse. “I just thought I’d bring this by.”

Lena dumbly accepted it and looked inside simply to stop from meeting Kara’s very sad eyes.

“I don’t know if you had cash in there, but there was nothing when the two patrol officers picked it up down by the docks. All your cards and stuff seem to be there though.”

She didn’t have any cash. It had seemed too much of an effort to go and withdraw money.

“And you came into possession of it…how?”

Kara cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses again and Lena hated how it still made her chest tighten with fondness.

“I heard them calling it in over the police channel…”

“They call in found purses?”

“When it’s a notable purse…”

“Ah, Lex Luthor’s sister loses her purse, let’s see if we can get some brownie points by returning it.”

Kara hung her head. “I figured you wouldn’t want to get it via him, so I went to collect it myself.”

“Why would you figure that?”

Kara’s cheeks flushed prettily. “Uhm, because you haven’t been seen at the D.E.O. or at Luthor Corp or the Luthor Foundation...Lex and Lillian get angry when asked questions about you, which means you’re avoiding them…” Her lips twitched like she was fighting a smile and those blue eyes sparkled at Lena as though she was proud.

Lena scowled at the floor.

“I’m not dating William!” Kara abruptly shouted at her and Lena startled in surprise.

“Who?” she asked.

She knew exactly who. Well, she knew the name from hearing it the previous night. She had no idea where Kara had found this one.

“The guy last night at Noonan’s…I’m not dating him.”

“How wonderful for you.”

“He’s everywhere and constantly bringing me things.”

“Sounds awful. You should document this oppression for future historians to dissect.”

“I don’t know how to tell him to go away, because we work together and I didn’t want to make things awkward.”

“Excellent strategy. Show him you dislike his behaviour by rewarding his behaviour.”

Lena frowned, wondering how often Kara had done things with her she didn’t really want to because she was too nice to say no.

“Everyone just seems to really want me to go out with him…”

“And then you did, so good on you for showing that peer pressure works even on Superheroes. You should do a TEDTalk.”

“Lena…”

“ _What,_ Kara? What do you want from me?”

“I want my friend back.”

“If only someone had peer pressured you into working on our friendship, then you might’ve still had me as a friend.”

Kara hung her head, bottom lip trembling and blue eyes shiny as they watered at her and Lena clenched her jaw. “Well, thank you for my purse,” she choked out, stepped back and tried to close the door but a hand of steel stopped it from closing as though Lena wasn’t leaning her entire weight behind it.

“Uhm, sorry. Sorry,” Kara hurriedly said and Lena righted herself just in time to avoid falling forward with the door when Kara tugged her hand away again. “Lena, could we please talk, a little. Please?”

A lump instantly rose in her throat at the desperation in Kara’s voice and Lena just wanted to get into bed and cry for a few weeks. She hated how much of an affect Kara still had on her emotions. She hated herself for allowing Kara to crawl in that deep when she’d known that people couldn’t—shouldn’t—be trusted. No matter how much they pretended she meant to them. She’d never been enough. It was always somehow okay to hurt her and lie to her.

“I don’t want to talk to you, Kara.”

“But…You’re…You’re not working with Lex anymore… and I thought—”

Lena choked out a laugh, tears spilling over her cheeks. “You thought what?” she croaked. “You thought because you barged into my home and threatened to treat me like a villain should I continue working with Lex and I then stopped working with Lex, that now I’m worthy of you gracing me with your presence? That I’m finally worthy of your friendship?”

“I thought our friendship meant something to you and that’s why you listened…”

“So withholding your friendship when I don’t behave in a way that you like?”

“No, I was drawing boundaries to protect myself because your actions were hurting me.”

“And I wasn’t hurting?”

“I wasn’t the one hurting you, Lena.”

“Weren’t you?”

Kara stared at her, and she genuinely didn’t seem to know.

“I don’t want to be your friend, Kara.” It hurt to say, but Lena didn’t think she had the emotional energy to be in Kara’s life anymore.

“I’m not going to let this friendship go,” Kara stubbornly said.

“But you already did,” Lena whispered, watching the realisation hit Kara. “It’s okay if you felt that you needed to do that to protect yourself. I can forgive you for that. But it’s not okay for you to make me feel as though you’re only my friend when I behave in a certain way. That I’m not worth the fight and the effort of understanding. Now that I know you’re Supergirl, you can’t just fly through my balcony anymore, being cold and dismissive, and then show up here, as Kara, pretending that never happened.”

Kara’s lips parted in shock and Lena shook her head.

“You don’t need to keep doing this. If it’s guilt driving you, I forgive you. You’re not the first person to give up on me, and you actually had good reason. You need to do what’s best for you and I’ll do what’s best for me. Taking you off the list of people welcome at my home will be step one. I hope you’ll respect my privacy enough to not fly onto my balcony.”

“I wouldn’t invade your privacy,” Kara rasped, blinking fat tears from her eyes.

“Thank you, Kara. I assure you that I won’t go running back to Lex if you leave me unsupervised.”

“I wasn’t thinking that.”

Lena nodded. “Goodbye.”

Kara stood there, lips parted, shoulders slumped, tears spilling over her cheeks and looking shell-shocked. It was all Lena could do not to pull her into a hug and hold her tight. She rubbed her forehead and stared at the floor, unable to look at Kara, but unable to close the door in her face.

“I—Lena, please—I…” She seemed to struggle for a painfully long moment and then simply gave up, turned, and walked to the elevator, shoulders hunched dejectedly.

Lena closed the door, leaned back against it and slowly sunk down next to her groceries. Biting back a sob, she reached into her grocery bags and pulled out a bottle of scotch.

🖤💚🖤

if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it


	3. Chapter 3

_Shit_ , she woke up too early, right in the worst part of her hangover. Lena blearily blinked, mouth tasting of bitter cotton wool and a stomach painfully churning. Bladder full and stinging, she gingerly got up, her belly swooping and swirling, and hunched forward, keeping her spinning head ducked.

Stumbling to the bathroom, she sat on the toilet holding her throbbing head and breathing deeply. She could do this. She didn’t need to throw up. She knew she would feel better after, but she hated it nonetheless. Finishing up, she went to lean against the basin and refused to look in the mirror.

Tentatively breathing, she washed her hands, picked up the tube of toothpaste and pressed some into her mouth, the scent of mint making her feel slightly better. She stuck her electric toothbrush in her mouth, eyes closed and fought down the nausea while the room tilted and wobbled.

Everything was going relatively well, until she made the mistake of brushing her tongue, the act mechanical as part of her routine, and then hit her tonsils by accident, immediately activating her gag reflex.

She had just enough sense to turn off her toothbrush and place it down, before she was bowing over the toilet bowl.

🖤💚🖤

Never again.

Lena was never going to drink again in her life.

She got another two hours of sleep and then got up, feet shuffling heavily over her tiles and was grateful she’d bought orange juice that she carefully sipped on while preparing an omelette with one eye open.

Seated behind the kitchen island while she slowly ate, Lena stared at the green ring, across the room on the coffee table, seeming to glow brighter beneath her attention. As though it attended the Kara Danvers School of Look at Me Lena.

She wanted to throw it out the balcony doors, but instead, finished half of the omelette, arms shaking, and stumbled back to bed, falling face-first into her pillows.

Groaning, she rolled onto her side, blindly reached into the drawer of her bedside table and took out a bottle of painkillers. Shifting onto her stomach, face smothered in her pillow, she reached down to the floor where she’d noticed a bottle of water the day before. It felt as though her arm socket would tear apart, but eventually the tips of her fingers gripped the bottle’s cap and she pulled it out in victory.

Exhausted, she rolled onto her back and removed two pills that she popped into her mouth. Opening the bottle of water, she took a sip, promptly sending water spilling over her lips and up her nose causing her to choke. Rearing upright, she violently coughed and snuffled, clutching her chest when the pills stuck painfully in her throat.

“Fucking,”—cough—“hell!”

Her chest burned. Her nose burned. Her lungs burned and her eyes watered.

Why did she do that?

Sniffing and blinking drowsily. Lena sipped gingerly on the water until she was certain she wouldn’t drown. She then placed the bottle on the side table and picked up her universal remote to draw her blinds. The room fell into lovely darkness and she plopped onto her side, pulled a pillow to her chest and squished her heated cheek to the cool fabric beneath her head, seeming to snore the instant her eyes fell shut.

🖤💚🖤

Her phone buzzed her awake and Lena was asleep enough to actually answer it.

“Hello?” she confusedly mumbled.

“Ms. Luthor, I apologise for disturbing you, but your mother’s downstairs and insists on seeing you.”

“Bill?” Lena pulled the phone away, squinted at the bright screen, then placed it back to her ear. “My mother’s here?”

“Yes, Ms. Luthor. I told her she wasn’t on the list any longer and she said she was your mother and doesn’t need to be on the list.”

“I’m so sorry, Bill. Would you mind calling the police to report a trespasser? I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Of course, Ms. Luthor.”

She looked down to see that she was actually wearing clean pyjamas for once and was proud of herself for that. She barely remembered showering after throwing up and went to very carefully brush her teeth again, absently working the knots out of her hair. The strands fell in long waves and still lacked any sort of volume, but at least it was clean.

Walking into her closet, she chose her grey booty slippers to match her grey flannel pyjama pants and top set. She wanted to change into more bold colours, but they were all dirty… Her closet space was almost empty and her laundry basket was overflowing with items heaped in and around it. Some were meant for dry-cleaning and sorting through them all was going to take forever. It wasn’t a train-smash though, Lillian would still hate her for daring to show up in sleepwear. Especially in public and in association with her.

Grinning smugly, Lena made her way downstairs.

It wasn’t the first time her mother had showed up after Lena began ignoring her, though it was the first time she’d been so insistent. Yawning and stretching as she exited the elevator into the lobby, she froze, arms up in the air mid-stretch, and took in the sight of Supergirl, arms folded across her chest and staring down Lillian, whose posture was stiff and regal as ever.

Slowly lowering her arms, Lena looked to Bill, who really was too old and too kind to be dealing with all this shit, to see him warily watching them.

“I’m so sorry, Bill,” she sincerely apologised again and went to place herself between Kara and her mother.

She then made the mistake of taking hold of Kara’s arms, attempting to push her toward the elevator and away from Lillian, but was met with an immovable wall of solid muscle. Fingers twitching on Kara’s delicious biceps, Lena bit her lip and had to swallow down a whimper as heat rose in her belly when she looked up into steely blue eyes glaring daggers at Lillian.

“Supergirl,” she husked and winced at the raspy tremor in her voice.

Kara seemed to acknowledge her for the first time and looked down. Somehow seeming so much taller in her suit even when she had about two inches on Lena at most.

“Do you mind waiting for me at the elevator while I speak to my mother?”

Why she was acting as though Lillian was an armed gunman, Lena didn’t know, but after another angry glare so unlike Kara, Supergirl relented and obediently went to wait at the elevator. Lena would’ve asked her to leave, but Kara’s sad face always broke her and she needed to be less fractured in order to deal with her mother.

She turned to a smug Lillian, tauntingly staring after the departing hero.

“The police are on their way.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Lena.”

“You’ve been asked repeatedly to leave. This is private property and you’re trespassing and causing a disturbance.”

“You’re serious. I thought you were taking this time to find yourself. Some belated teenage rebellion phase. Instead, you’ve somehow managed to come out more immature at the other end.”

“The police report regarding this incident will be used as evidence to gain a restraining order.”

“Lena—”

“You aren’t welcome here.”

“Your brother needs your help with the company. We’re family.”

Lena laughed bitterly. “In name only. I feel closer to Bill than I do you. I trust him more than I do you. I am one hundred per cent certain that he cares about me more than you do, _mother_.”

“Still whining about favouritism—”

“You aren’t welcome in my home and in my life!” Lena shouted, unwilling to hear another word meant to make her feel small and insignificant. “Leave now, or leave when the police get here, but I am done listening to you.”

Lillian sneered at something over Lena’s shoulder, no doubt Supergirl unable to mind her own damned business, and now Lillian would be blaming her behaviour on _that_ instead of Lena finally standing up for herself.

“You’ll be cut off,” Lillian softly warned, ever the arbitrator of propriety. God forbid Bill heard them discussing _money_.

“I own my home. I earned my savings. I hold four different PhD’s and have an IQ and resume that will make any engineering company salivate to hire me. I’m pure _excellence_ and I’ll be just _fine_.”

“Who do you think made you that way?”

“I reached my goals in spite of you.”

“In spite of me paying for the best education money can buy?”

“In spite of you attempting to break me down the instant you noticed I might surpass Lex in any way. In spite of you viewing me as a commodity to be used for your benefit, instead of an actual member of this _family_.”

Lillian let out a huff. “Don’t come crying to me when you realise just how much I actually gave you, Lena,” she hissed, spun on her heel and marched out the door.

“I’m so sorry that you needed to deal with— _oomf_ ”

Bill hugged her.

A big bear hug, patting her on the back, like the grandfather she never had.

“You did well, Ms. Luthor,” he softly said, let go of her and Lena was too overcome to say anything to him, so she nodded dumbly, turned around, and marched to the private elevator where Supergirl was widely grinning at her and that thankfully made her angry.

“ _Don_ _’t_. Get inside,” she gritted out and Kara only grinned wider, practically skipping into the elevator and Lena pressed the biometric button for the penthouse, standing with her back to Supergirl, wanting to hit her head repeatedly against the metal doors that closed in front of her face.

Steeling herself, she spun around, opened her mouth to berate Kara and found soft lips pressed against her own. Strong arms tenderly wrapped around her. Somehow, Lena’s arms had anticipated the attack and one casually went around Kara’s neck, fingers digging into blond hair, while the other rested against her shoulder, above Kara’s soft breast, the outline of her body so much more pronounced beneath those nanofibres…

She moaned at the feel of lean muscle lined up against her and Kara whimpered into her mouth, kissing her deeper and _what was happening_? She pushed against Kara, obviously not able to move her an inch, but the pressure had Kara break the kiss and release Lena from her arms who fell back, and had to brace herself against the doors because her legs were _gone_.

“What the _hell_ , Kara?” she breathlessly wondered out loud and Kara had the audacity to gape at her as though she was more surprised than Lena was.

“I’m not sure.”

Lena laughed bitterly. “Do you get some sort of kick out of playing with my emotions all while acting so goddamn innocent?”

“No, Lena, no.”

“Why are you even here?”

“I heard the police callout and that Lex had already pulled some strings telling them to ignore it, so I was worried and came here and found Lillian…I didn’t want her to hurt you anymore—”

“My family dilemmas have _nothing_ to do with you.”

“I know, but you said that I didn’t fight for our friendship and I wanted to show you that I was willing to fight.”

“By shoving your tongue down my throat?!”

“Lena, that part was entirely your fault.”

“I didn’t jump you in this elevator.”

“No, but you—you were amazing just now with Lillian and I miss you so much and I never understood why you mattered so much to me, why it hurt so much that _you_ were making kryptonite and then you turned around and you look so cute in those pyjamas—”

The elevator doors pinged open and Lena fell through them, too taken off-guard by Kara’s confessions to even attempt to stop her own body. And Kara was super-fast, but clearly also in shock about what she was saying and Lena suddenly flailing, but she made a decent attempt. Yet before Kara could catch her in those magnificent fucking arms of hers, in a no doubt heroically romantic way, a different set of arms gracelessly caught Lena beneath her armpits and pulled her to his side.

“It is I, your lover, Hal, here to rescue you, milady.” He put on a ridiculous voice, pretended to twirl a fake moustache and Lena laughed despite herself, hitting him against his chest, and then looked back to Kara’s devastated face where she stood frozen in the elevator and Lena’s heart clenched as the doors closed between them.

🖤💚🖤

“What are you doing here?” she asked, abruptly angry at him when they were back in the apartment after Hal had silently stood beside her staring at the elevator, giving her a good five minutes to decide what she wanted to do and her decision was finally to not run after Kara, simply because she didn't have the emotional energy to go deal with all of _that_.

Whether Kara was smiling at her in that way that seemed not quite platonic, or hugging her with an intimacy that no lover has ever done before, or randomly kissing her in elevators, she was still being as infuriatingly confusing as ever!

Only now Lena got to add the actual feel of Kara’s lips to her list of fantasies to never ever think about again.

_Just fucking great._

Hal held up a finger, his ring glowed and then he nodded. “Right—”

“What did you just do?”

“Soundproofed the room.”

“Against Kryptonian hearing?”

“This is where I believe your science-brain will struggle with the ring.”

“Who says I have a science-brain?”

“I ring-Googled you.”

“I thought we established that I had no interest in wearing unknown alien technology?”

“But it could help you better control your creations. If you can think it, it will exist. The possibilities are endless, Leelee—”

“No.”

“Fine. _Lena_. You just need to think outside of the box. Not much exists that can stop a Kryptonian spying on you, but if you _will_ something to exist within those parameters—if your willpower is strong enough—it _will_ manifest itself.”

“All of this sounds highly unlikely.”

“All you need to do is put on the ring and see for yourself.”

“You sound like a drug pusher. What are you doing in my home? I thought we were angry at each other.”

“Me? Angry at you? Never. You’re like the little sister I never wanted and am now forced to guide through puberty all on my own while you run after girls who are gonna break your heart.”

“You’re too late. My heart's already broken. And she’s running after me, thank you very much.”

He honest to god pouted and Lena rolled her eyes fondly. “What are you doing here, Hal?”

“I brought the lantern,” he said pointing to a large dark green glowing lantern on the coffee table next to the ring.

“So you broke into my home?”

“I apologise for that. But I noticed you weren’t home, placed the lantern in here so no one saw me with it because this place has far too many cameras. I didn’t look or touch anything, I swear, and immediately went to wait outside your door because lurking on the balcony seemed even creepier than that.”

“You apparently have sensory blocking shields. Why not use them?”

“So it’s not creepier making myself invisible and lurking on your balcony?”

Lena released a long-suffering sigh.

“I’m really sorry, I won’t ever come in again, for any reason, without your knowledge.”

“Fine.”

“Thank you. The ring needs to be charged by the lantern every 24 hours, no matter how much you use it, thankfully it’s quick.”

“How does the lantern power the ring?”

“You can put on your ring and ask it yourself.”

Lena rolled her eyes.

“Maybe you’ll finally put it on when the world starts being destroyed. Wouldn’t want you to have a dead battery then.”

The lantern made her even more curious than the ring did. Her fingers itched to poke and prod and find answers. It was the same shape that was on Hal’s suit, at the centre of his chest and the symbol on his ring. Apparently, the emblem of the Green Lantern Corps.

“You can breathe in space?”

“Yes. We can fly through space, adjusting to all planetary atmospheres, understand all alien languages, and make use of homing beacons for faster travel. We can even move between dimensions. Joining the Green Lantern Corps will open you to a universe of possibilities.”

“You sound like a cheesy college advertisement.”

“Is it working a little?”

“I am curious.”

“Are you just being stubborn because you know I want this so badly?”

“Partly.” Lena grinned when he half-heartedly glared. “You’re a stranger, Hal. How can I trust that a stranger is telling me the truth?”

He nodded and sat down on the couch. “I get that. I was dumb enough to put on the ring without even knowing what it was. I’m not sure how to convince you that this is safe, other than you’ve seen me using mine.”

“And it can create anything?”

“Anything that isn’t self-serving.”

“What about food?”

“Your mind holds the energy constructs, keeping them in existence for as long as you concentrate on them. So if you do make food and eat it, it would disappear the second you stop thinking about it.”

Lena nodded. It was a bit more believable that they would have some rules in place.

“And we used to be unable to directly take a life with the ring, but being at war with Sinestro Corps…Green Lanterns are falling to him fast. Innocent people are getting caught in the crossfire…The Guardians have lifted that restriction so we can protect ourselves and everyone counting on us to stop his army.”

“If the situation is so dire, why are you being so patient with me?”

“Because I can see that if I push, you’ll only stubbornly refuse to cooperate.” He laughed lightly. “I’m not going to force you to want this. I was stupid and fell into it and it eventually became my purpose in life. My calling. It was still my choice in the end, and it’s yours now. If I’m being honest, this is the absolute worst time for you to join us.”

“Because of this war?”

He nodded.

“And you aren’t expected to go help?”

“I’m expected to recruit and initiate you and be back in a few days to re-join the fight.”

Lena frowned. “And if you don’t recruit me?”

“I’ll be leaving to re-join the fight.”

“And when Earth is attacked, like you said?”

“Your ex will probably help defend it.”

Lena nodded, not bothering to correct him on the Kara situation. She doubted he would believe her considering the way they acted around each other.

“She would be a lot safer if you—”

“Don’t,” Lena whispered. “Don’t attempt to manipulate me. You’ve been doing fine by being blunt and honest.”

“Sorry,” he said and hung his head. “I was just reminded of how important this is and that the Green Lanterns need me back.”

Lena nodded, walked over and before she could think much more on it, put the ring on her middle finger of her right hand, the way Hal wore his.

Nothing happened.

She glared at him.

“You need to charge it.”

She was a lot less anxious with the ring finally on her, though her heart did thrum loudly in her ears. It fit her perfectly, which was strange, considering it belonged to a large man before her, but not much stranger than anything else that had happened in the past couple of days. It felt almost right, unobtrusively and pleasantly buzzing against her skin. Or maybe it was only her imagination…

“Okay, don’t freak out—”

Lena’s head snapped to him.

“I don’t have a cell phone.”

Rolling her eyes, she sighed in exasperation. “Why would I freak out—”

“ _We can communicate telepathically._ ”

Lena freaked out. Very stiffly, and very much internally, as she stared at his closed mouth and his intense gaze on her.

 _“I can’t read your mind,_ ” he assured.

She snorted.

“ _I can only hear what you project toward me. Try it._ ”

“ _Get. The fuck. Out of my head._ ”

“ _Excellent. Try to read my mind so you can see how impossible it is._ ”

She hated herself for actually trying and being relieved when she couldn’t hear anything because that didn’t mean he couldn’t still read her mind.

“ _Now sit down and let me show you the truth_.”

She lowered mechanically, eyes trained on Hal’s earnest and kind brown gaze.

And then she was hit with a flood of memories. Of him finding the ring, going through his training, fighting a thing called Parallex, having his home destroyed and his love along with it…She gasped at everything he’d gone through, at all the places he’d been, _decades_ seemed to pass in seconds, showing he hadn’t aged since he put on the ring. She saw Sinestro with his Yellow Lantern army, wreaking havoc and destroying everything in their path.

Hal chose to show her John Stewart last, finding his body, removing his ring and being led by it to National City, after burying his friend.

It could’ve been made up, a creation of a man with an overactive imagination, but Lena could feel him. How real the memories were and her gaze focused on him, sitting and waiting and trying to be patient when she could feel his fear and worry and the sense of urgency he fought down for her benefit.

When Lena turned to the lantern, both it and her ring glowed.

“In brightest day, in blackest night,” she recited. “No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power...Green Lantern's Light.”

🖤💚🖤

**All hail Jessica Cruz <3**

**#ChokeMeDaddy**


	4. Chapter 4

Lena’s eyes flew open, her insides jolted and a surge of energy had her abruptly standing up.

“Whoa, take it easy,” Hal said, watching her in awe. “Check this out.” He pointed his ring to where a full-length mirror appeared. It was entirely green, like solid, pale, jelly, but the reflective surface worked and Lena mechanically walked closer, feeling unnaturally light on her feet, and then her eyes grew wide.

She wore no mask and her hair was loose and falling in soft waves across her shoulders. That was fine, the problem was with how naked she felt. And she’d worn a latex bodysuit before. For reasons. But this, Lena barely felt whatever fabric it was that clung to her like a second skin. No, like her own skin. Her breasts looked good and felt secured, like she was wearing the world’s comfiest most supportive bra, with the benefits of not having to feel any straps digging into her skin. The suit kept everything firm and tight and pert and her face flushed hot.

“You’ll get used to it,” Hal said and she wondered if he was reading her mind, but realised he wasn’t, because she could feel him more clearly too. Feel the forcefield that still surrounded her apartment and she looked down at the ring on the middle finger of her right hand.

“Try it. I’ll be here to put out any fires, fix any damage...Well not fix it, but prevent it, hopefully…You know what, don’t worry, I’ve got this. Think of something.”

Lena bit her lip, looked back into the mirror and almost immediately a black mask covered her eyes, her irises turned a milky green, and Hal nodded.

“That does look better than the green one. Try something else.”

“I just think of a thing and it’ll appear?” she asked, even when his lessons from the memories she’d seen stuck in her brain. Even when she’d just made a mask materialize out of thin air…

“Let’s say you make a vacuum cleaner energy construct,” he said, and a vacuum appeared in his hand, entirely green with a flat rectangular head and bag hanging from a long handle, like a cartoon vacuum. “Your science-brain will be tempted to let it do what vacuum cleaners do: suck up dust and dirt. But, if you concentrate hard enough, you can have a vacuum that only sucks up…uh…books.” A full bookcase appeared, same green substance for the books and shelves, and he tipped the vacuum upward, sucking only the books neatly inside. “You can conceive of a tiny jail and trap people while your attention is needed elsewhere.” Lena was surrounded by wide bars, another cartoonish design, and she realised he was doing it as to not freak her out. Only proving that when the vacuum and cell quickly disappeared and he gave her an expectant look.

She made a bird.

A tiny hummingbird. That might not have looked impressive, but Lena stared at it in wonder as it fluttered about the room, wings rapidly beating like her racing heart. When she tried to reconstruct a large-scale DNA strand and the bird disappeared, she frowned. Hal continued to watch and Lena appreciated that he was giving her the chance to work it out for herself first.

She made the bird reappear, did the DNA strand, focusing on both because when she stopped thinking about one it would cease to exist.

A rollercoaster track circled them and Lena had a long coaster with tiny people inside speeding across it and around the room. She made a little T-Rex attack the coaster, as well as pterodactyls swooping down and grabbing tiny green humans, carrying them toward the ceiling and when Hal laughed, she did too, breaking her concentration and causing everything to disappear at once.

“Wow. That was great!” Hal said and clapped his hands together.

“Sometimes it pays to have your mind be your only escape your entire life.”

“You’re going to be powerful.”

“Yeah?”

“Yep. You’re a natural. Now do you want to fly? Because that’s the only thing I wanted to learn to do properly.”

Lena bit her lip.

“Not really a fan of flying?”

She shook her head.

“What about it don’t you like?”

“Being that high up, knowing I could fall at any second, needing to trust that maintenance crews have done their jobs, and being dependant on a pilot…” she trailed off and he grinned when her eyes widened. “ _I_ _’m_ the pilot.”

“Yeah, you’re the pilot. And you control everything. How fast, how high, and you can do it in style.”

“Okay…” Lena breathed, staring out at the balcony.

“Wait. Hover first. Learn what it feels like to control your movements.”

It really was as simple as a thought. She’d flown an alien spaceship before, that worked through a combination of high concentration and gentle pressures. Easing herself into the air felt as natural as taking a step, and she gently hovered above her living room carpet.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

They floated out onto the balcony and Lena stared at the clear blue sky, legs shaky when she rested her feet on the floor.

“Don’t worry about falling,” he said. “I’ll be with you every step of the way, so just let go and have some fun with it.”

Taking a deep fortifying breath, Lena bent her knees and shot into the sky.

🖤💚🖤

It was exhilarating.

She felt weightless.

Once they’d cleared the city, Lena closed her eyes and felt the wind whipping through her hair. Like swimming in and endless pool, but being able to speed up and slow down without any physical effort whatsoever. Eventually she opened her eyes and took in the view of farmlands and rolling hills. Hal remained close, following silently wherever she took them, though Lena had no idea where they were, and hardly cared.

Smiling widely, she came to a halt and just hovered in the air. Hal grinned back and waited on her.

“How do I shoot?”

He laughed, and though he’d been friendly since she met him, it was the first time he’d smiled that broadly and his movements were noticeably looser.

“Well, you can make a gun,” he said, and a rifle appeared in his hands that fired the same green it was made out of. “Or just shoot out of your hands.” Beams shot from his palms. “In the beginning, it helps your mind if you think of it coming directly from the ring and just point and aim.”

“But in actuality, the ring makes it so the energy constructs can form wherever I want them to,” Lena said, gloved palms up and green flames burning in the air above them. The surge of power was intoxicating and she slowly breathed through parted lips, trying to adjust to the way her body pleasantly buzzed.

“Nice.” Hal grinned and floated back a few yards. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

Lena nodded dumbly.

“Now throw those at me.”

She sent him a dubious look.

“Not only do we have automatic shields against attack, and during warp travel—”

“ _Warp trave_ l?”

“Let’s say you want to fly to Mars, you’ll fly like we just did, but you’ll get there in seconds. But that’s another lesson.”

Lena wanted that to be the lesson and to ask about wormholes, but decided to listen for the time-being. She’d been giving him enough of a hard time.

“Though your shields will activate automatically against some enemies, against others, you’re gonna need customised shields. And you get those by—”

“Knowing your enemy’s strengths and weaknesses.”

“Whoa, did you study the art of war, or something?”

“I studied under Lillian Luthor. She taught me the importance of knowing of and exploiting weaknesses of perceived enemies.”

“Huh. Okay. Use that resentment right there and direct it at me. If it’s too much, I’ll yell uncle.”

Lena laughed and carefully lugged a ball of green fire at him, which he dodged, blasting a beam at her that hit her right in the stomach, making her gasp. Her eyes narrowed behind her mask and Hal smirked below his.

“See? It hurts just enough to make it fun.”

She immediately hurled balls of green flames that Hal easily ducked away from. He was going easy on her, judging by how he sped up in bursts of unnatural speeds, but slowed to give her a chance to aim. She tried to copy him, switching from flames to beams herself, grateful when he stuck to a nice rhythm. Like dancing. Blast, blast, dodge. It helped hone her control and got her comfortable enough to experiment.

Feeling the power flow from her with a delicious shudder, she trapped Hal in a giant cage and focused on hovering it around him, instead of letting it drop. Hal countered with a massive chainsaw and used it to slice through the cage, like a hot knife through butter. Laughing, she formed clouds above his head, letting spikes rain down, and he quickly constructed an indestructible umbrella, standing beneath the downpour with a huge grin on his face.

“You ever watch Robot Wars?” Hal called and Lena’s grin matched his.

Though Hal was controlling his robot with his mind, Lena found that creating a remote controller was better. Having something physical to hold onto did help her win, but she guessed it was one of the limitations he referred to as a result of her ‘science-brain’.

He kindly didn’t comment on that. “Good job. Are you comfortable with trying more close-ranged battle?”

“Sure.”

“Choose your weapons.”

She softly hummed as a longsword appeared in her right palm and a round shield covered her left arm.

“I knew you were the best kind of nerd,” he said and chuckled, a giant axe forming in his hands.

Lena grinned and shoved her sword in the air, green lightning shooting from it and Hal swung his axe, electricity currents pulsing around him and grinning like mad. She was about to charge him when arms wrapped around her with a gentle yet immobilising strength. Had she not recognised the body immediately, she would’ve panicked. Instead, she went entirely limp.

“I won’t hurt you,” Kara politely reassured, but it was her voice, over Lena’s ear, causing her to lightly shudder, as her heart picked up in pace.

“ _Martian Manhunter,_ ” Hal spoke in her head and Lena finally became aware of something other than Kara wrapped around her, and saw J’onn holding onto Hal. “ _I_ _’ve shielded us from his telepathy, but remind me to help you with this lesson too. Sooner rather than later._ ”

Lena nodded and then went back to being painfully aware of Supergirl’s breasts pressed against her. The Green Lantern uniform was so thin, she could feel every inch of Kara’s body while she gently floated them both in the air, because Lena had gone entirely slack.

“We’re practising,” Hal said. “Green Lantern Corps business.”

Lena tuned back in to where J’onn released Hal and Kara followed suit. She fell for and embarrassing second after being let go, but thankfully Hal noticed and kept her up, until she regained her senses again. She felt much calmer when he flew over to her side and Kara went to J’onn who was watching them carefully.

“And may we know what that business is?”

“Classified for now, but be ready for an attack on Earth.”

“What kind of an attack?” J’onn continued his interrogation, while Kara distractedly stared off into space.

“Once we know, I’ll let you know personally.”

“You know where to find me?”

“Up at the Tower, right?”

J’onn frowned.

“It was just a guess.” Hal laughed. “You have quite a little team going on another Earth.”

“All other Earth’s were destroyed.”

“In this dimension.”

Kara sighed, shoulders slumped, looking as though she wasn’t even there and while grateful that she wasn’t paying attention, Lena wanted to scream ‘ _look at me_ ’ at the top of her lungs.

“So you know who I am,” J’onn said. “Who are you?”

“The Green Lantern.”

“And your friend?”

“The Green Lantern.”

“You’re both the Green Lantern?”

“Yes.”

J’onn scowled.

“We would also appreciate if you didn’t go around grabbing people at random,” Hal warned. “Had I not known you meant no harm, you could’ve gotten really hurt.”

Lena let out a soft chuckle, which finally got Kara’s attention and those blue eyes stared at her beneath furrowed brows. She bit her lip, heart beating rapidly and Kara tilted her head, searching her face.

“ _We need to leave, or send them away_ ,” she projected to Hal.

“We thought you were fighting,” J’onn said.

“Still not your concern if we were,” Hal replied. “You could’ve tried asking us whether we required assistance.”

“Fair enough,” J’onn agreed and then everyone kept staring at each other.

“If you don’t mind, we would like to get back to training,” Hal announced. “I suggest you both do the same. Whatever Sinestro sends after us, it won’t be an easy fight.”

“Sinestro?”

“You know him?”

“Heard of him. He’s part of the Green Lantern Corps…”

“Not anymore.”

J’onn nodded sagely. “Thank you for the warning.”

He flew off and Kara was still looking at her, until finally she sped off after him.

“ _He knows about the Corps?_ ” Lena asked.

_“He’s old. A Martian. Chances are good he would’ve heard of us.”_

_“Are we responsible for protecting other dimensions too?”_

_“No, why do you ask?”_

_“You’ve mentioned other dimensions a few times...”_

_“Oh, no, I was just exploring._ ”

_“Huh.”_

_“Think about the universe as an MMORPG.”_

_“How so?”_

_“The universe is the game. Data centres are dimensions, and within those dimensions are your world servers. We’re responsible for Space Sector 2814’s world servers of this data centre.”_

Lena nodded. _“And you know about Earth gaming, but you don’t own a cellphone?”_

“Who would call me?” he asked and since he spoke out loud and Lena felt the prickling of a forcefield across her skin, she figured he had a cloak over them. She returned his smile with sad eyes. The only people calling her, were people she didn’t want calling.

“I carry my phone out of habit. Not sure how I’ll carry it with this suit though.”

“You still have your clothes beneath. Anything you placed in your pockets are still there.”

He ran his hands across his pants, revealing jeans beneath. “The ring will allow you to manipulate your clothing at will.”

“Nice.”

“Very. Now, let’s practice shielding against Kryptonian hearing and Martian telepathy.”

🖤💚🖤

She lay on her bed, listening to the washing machine going down the hall, staring at the ceiling where a copy of Space Sector 2814 was projected in the dark room. The ring worked like Google, but for the entire universe, and Lena was high on the sheer amount of information. Every answer she got, led to only more questions. And she was almost grateful for her ringing phone to save her from the black hole of data she’d willingly thrown herself into.

“Hi, Bill.”

“Ms. Luthor, sorry to disturb, but Ms. Danvers is here to see you.”

Lena sighed even has her heart sped up. “She’s no longer on the list.”

“I told her that, Ms. Luthor, and she asked me very nicely to simply ask you if she could briefly come up. It’s very difficult to say no to her…”

Only because she understood and sympathised with his plight, Lena relented. “I’m so sorry for all the drama you’re being forced to deal with, Bill. Please send her up.”

“Not a problem, Ms. Luthor,” he said, a smile clear in his voice, before the call ended.

She stared down at the black tank top and sweat pants she wore, only just stopping herself before she could go change, and grabbed a hair tie from her bedside table, tying her hair into a high ponytail. For once, her home was clean, and she was clean, and it made her feel good and confident, but also made the lantern on the coffee table that much more obvious, so Lena went to stash it in her closet.

Her doorbell rang and she stared down at the ring on her finger, needing to barely focus as she disguised it with the invisibility shield Hal had taught her before he left.

Walking to the door though, she caught her lack of reflection in the mirror and sighed. She removed the shield from her body, refocusing on only the ring, and wondered why she’d agreed to let Kara come up when she was that reticent to see her. Drawing in a breath, she pulled open the door and exhaled like she’d been punched in the gut, needing to lean on the door as she watched the heart-wrenching visage of a Kara Danvers, dressed in a neatly tucked shirt and dress pants, holding onto a bouquet of plumerias for dear life, while she anxiously bit her lip.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Lena mumbled and swallowed thickly, forgetting about Kara’s super-hearing until she received an almost frightened deer in headlights look.

“I’m sorry for showing up like this,” Kara shakily said and adjusted her glasses. She held the flowers to her chest, so tightly, Lena could see green seeping through the paper they were wrapped in. She wanted to comment on that, but Kara was so anxious she wasn’t sure the plumerias would survive her speaking before Kara said what she needed to say. “But my behaviour toward you was wrong and as Alex pointed out, bordering on assault.”

Lena frowned, thinking on when Kara thought she’d assaulted her. When she grabbed her earlier in the sky? If anything, Lena wished she’d held her a little tighter.

Kara cleared her throat. “Sexual assault,” she said with a pained expression and watery eyes. “I’m so sorry I just kissed you out of nowhere, Lena. And I’m sorry that I didn’t take into regard your boyfriend. I shouldn’t have done that and I’ll apologise to him too if you want me to.”

“Oh,” Lena breathed, everything clicking into place. Kara was drowning in guilt and Lena hated that she couldn’t just let her continue doing that.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

White petals fluttered then froze beneath the heavy release of breath that left Kara’s mouth.

“Y-you’re not seeing anyone?”

Lena absently shook her head, watching Kara notice the frost and then hiding the flowers behind her back, as though Lena hadn’t been staring at them the whole time.

“No.” She kept it simple, finding some satisfaction in the way Kara squirmed under her gaze.

“Good.”

“Good?”

Kara froze. “I meant good, that I didn’t kiss someone’s girlfriend.”

“Why did you kiss me at all?”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“I was overwhelmed.”

“By what.”

“How beautiful you are?”

Lena’s eyes narrowed. “Are you asking me?”

“No. No. You’re very beautiful.”

“And I became beautiful in the elevator?”

“You’ve always been so beautiful, Lena,” Kara whimsically said and Lena’s stomach swooped and _why_. Why was Kara so stupidly charming? Was it because Lena loved her that everything she said affected her so intensely? She needed for this insanity to end, before she got pulled back into Kara’s orbit.

“Well, thank you. And thank you for apologising. Have a great day.”

The look of utter defeat and sorrow on Kara’s face stopped her pushing the door shut in her face.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Lena mumbled and Kara inhaled a shuddering breath, eyes filling with tears.

“I’m sorry for bothering you,” she said, and started backing away and Lena winced, heart aching and took two large steps forward, taking hold of Kara’s wrist before she could flee.

“Wait, Kara, that wasn’t directed at you.”

She got a confused, yet hopeful look.

“I was swearing at myself.”

“Uhm, okay…” Kara said, sounding dubious, but she wasn’t crying and Lena took that as a win.

“You didn’t assault me.”

Kara smiled, shoulders losing tension. “Thank you.”

Lena nodded. “Why did you kiss me, Kara?” she asked and pretended not to see the way several plumerias succumbed to the crushing force of Kara’s grip and fell to the floor.

“Because I really wanted to,” she whispered, searching Lena’s face and Lena almost died when she stepped closer and when had they gotten so close? They stood inches apart in her foyer outside her door and Kara’s gaze was longingly flicking between her eyes and her lips…

“What are you doing?” Lena breathlessly asked, her body arching forward when Kara pressed closer, both hands resting on Lena’s hips. Plumerias gone.

“I would like to take you to dinner,” Kara told Lena’s mouth. “Maybe kiss you some more?”

“No,” Lena said, and hated the way she smiled around the word, because Kara tilted her head, brows scrunching attractively.

“Lunch?” she asked and then had the audacity to flash her a smile that made Lena’s own lips tug upward.

“I’m not hungry,” she said, knowing she was pouting, and hating herself for being so easy.

“Will you be hungry tomorrow?” Kara asked. “We could go get tacos. Maybe you’ll let me hold your hand while we walk down the beach…”

Lena nearly melted at how simple she made it sound. Like it was okay for them to go from everything that’s happened to holding hands on the beach. It sounded absurd.

“Kara…” she helplessly breathed.

“It doesn’t need to be tomorrow…I don’t need to touch you at all, but maybe we could see each other a little? And work on getting better?” She looked so hopeful, Lena found it hard to even think the word ‘no’ at her.

“I don’t know if that’s possible for us…”

Kara’s face fell and Lena kissed her.

She hadn’t planned it, but god, Kara’s sad face wasn’t anything she could ever stand to be around.

“Lena?” she confusedly mumbled into Lena’s mouth, even as she wrapped her strong arms around her and Lena moaned, licked over Kara’s lips and instantly shoved her tongue into her mouth when Kara gasped, lightly trembling against her.

Maybe if they had sex, Kara would lose some of the power she had over her. The thought, accompanied by Kara’s warm and innocent hand caressing over her ribs had Lena moaning again, pressing closer.

Everything about Kara was fucking delicious.

Lena wanted her so badly.

Too badly.

She pressed a trembling hand to Kara’s shoulder.

“No, wait,” she mumbled, half pressed in a kiss and then Kara was just _gone._

Lena had to focus on balancing on her shaky legs and catching her breath, before she found Kara pressed against the wall beside the elevator, breathing heavily, glasses comically askew.

“Sorry, I’m sorry,” Kara said, looking so afraid that she’d done something wrong that Lena rolled her eyes.

“Come back here,” she said and Kara carefully walked forward, biting her lip as she stepped over the murdered plumerias.

“What do you want from me, Kara?”

“I want you to not be mad at me anymore.”

“And how are we going to get that to happen?”

“I could show you that you can trust me again?”

“And how are you gonna do that?”

“By being there, and not lying anymore.”

“Do you hold my past actions against me?”

“Not anymore. I was afraid because I know how brilliant you are and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to fight you if you joined with Lex. But you didn’t. And I understand why you thought you could make the world better with Myriad, and you seem to have come to realise why that wasn’t okay…So I’m not sure what I should be holding against you?”

“I hurt you.”

“You thought you couldn’t trust me anymore,” Kara sadly said. “And I’m willing to gain that back if you let me.”

“Since when are you interested in women?”

Kara grinned. “It’s a new realisation.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, Kelly helped me realise how much more my feelings for you were and how that only added to the intensity of our fights and why I was so afraid to lose you that I lied and ended up losing you anyway.”

“Oh…”

“Yes.”

They stood in silence while Lena tried to figure out if Kara was coming out and saying that she has feelings for her.

“Oh, Rao!” Kara abruptly exclaimed and Lena jumped in her skin, staring in shock at Kara’s stricken face. “Do you even like women? I didn’t even ask—”

Lena huffed. “I just had my tongue in your mouth, Kara.” A dreamy smile spread across Kara’s face and Lena rolled her eyes. “Dinner. Friday night. Pick me up at seven.”

“Next week?”

“What day is today?”

“It’s Friday…”

Lena cleared her throat. They probably should take a week to think about this insanity and whether Kara really wanted this or if she was just conflating wanting her friend back and the guilt surrounding that, with wanting Lena in a romantic way. “Yes, next week Friday. Only to talk and…see if there’s anything left to salvage…”

“Uhm, is it okay if I called or messaged you until then?”

Lena bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head. “It’s probably for the best if we didn’t speak electronically right now, when things are still so uncertain and risk misinterpretation of intent that might lead to arguments…”

“Yeah, better not risk it.” Kara brightly grinned and looked as though she wanted to kiss her again, but instead clenched her fists and gave a little jump in place. “I can’t wait to spend time with you again.”

🖤💚🖤


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the interest and kudos, but special thanks to those of you who take the time to comment after every chapter. It really eases my anxiety when I'm not posting into the void and imagining readers staring at my words in dumbstruck horror lol 
> 
> Appreciate you guys a lot. This one's for you <3
> 
> @NotSoEvilPanda

“Can you imagine if vaginae were like mouths?”

Hal choked on his gin & tonic, sat at the other end of the couch, and stared at her with wide, watery eyes while he coughed. Lena flashed him a dazzling smile. Or what she intended to be one, but her eyes and mouth were tired. She should go sleep, but instead she downed her umpteenth glass of whiskey.

“Will you come back?” she asked, saving him from responding.

“I know it feels like I’m abandoning you—”

“It does.”

Hal sighed. “You’re making this very difficult, Lena.”

“That’s the point.”

“I thought the point was to celebrate your date tomorrow night?”

“The point was for you to come over and get drunk with me because I made a rule that I wouldn’t get drunk alone anymore.”

“And why are you getting drunk at all?”

“So I don’t freak out and cancel on Kara, but now you’re leaving and I’m getting drunk about that too.”

“I’ll be literally five minutes away.”

“Is it literally, though?”

“Huh?”

“Or is it technically?”

“It’s literally for me?”

“But not for everyone.”

“Does the word mean that much to you?”

“Kara loves words. She won a Pulitzer before the Anti-Monitor and Lex ruined everything.”

“She loves words and you.”

Lena snorted out a laugh and grinned stupidly. “She's so smart, but she hides it for some reason…” Her smiled faded. “And how much has she hidden? Is eighty per cent of her my Kara, or twenty? Do I know her at all? Who even is she, Hal?”

“I think you need to trust yourself more.”

She frowned.

“You said yes for a reason. Something she did convinced you to finally hear her out. So do that and if you feel you can’t trust her, then at least you know you tried and can move on.”

“Have you even been drinking?” Lena scowled. “You’re supposed to be wallowing and not making sense, along with me.”

He laughed. “After a while the ring makes our bodies more resilient so it takes a lot more than a bottle of gin to get me drunk.”

“You sacrilegious waster of good alcohol.”

“I’ll repent my sins to the great god Bacchus,” he promised with a smile. “And I’ll call you every day with my mind.”

“You better.”

“Except tomorrow. Tomorrow I’m going to leave to Supergirl and you can tell me all about it the day after.”

Panic clenched Lena’s chest. “How did you know that Kara was Supergirl? I’ve been very careful not to confuse her names.”

“Yeah, you’ve been really vague, even more so when drunk. The only reason I’ve been able to follow this conversation and understand what’s got you so stressed, was because I knew they were the same person.”

“They’re gonna blame me for someone else knowing her secret.”

“Who are ‘they’? And I have the ring, I could’ve just asked it, but hardly needed to, because unless they’re identical twins, it’s pretty obvious…”

She narrowed her eyes. “When did you see Kara to know?”

“Ran into her outside the other day, she looked very happy with herself, apparently because she finally scored a date with you.”

“It’s not that obvious,” Lena grumpily mumbled.

“What?”

“I should cancel.”

“You should if you want to, but why do you want to?”

“She’s just going to look at me with her face and kiss me with her mouth.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Until I find out some other lie that breaks my heart.”

“Or maybe there aren’t any more lies? You’ll never know until you give her a chance. Is she worth taking that risk?”

Lena scooted over, spilling whiskey on her couch and maybe she should get it cleaned and donate it. Maybe someone would dye it so it didn’t look like the hide of a milk cow anymore.

Falling against Hal’s chest, she let him wrap his arms around her and sighed contently.

“I promise to be a good Lantern and will stop making you worry about me, very soon.”

“I know you will, and take it one day at time. You’re stronger than I ever was.”

“You’re the only man I’ve ever loved.”

His chest rumbled with laughter. “What about Jack?”

“You’re the only alive man I’ve ever loved,” she said, refusing to admit how much she’d loved her father and brother out loud.

“Love you, too. Even more, ‘cause you’re a pain in my ass,” he said with a chuckle and kissed her head.

🖤💚🖤

Lena stood in front of the full-length mirror in her closet and ran her hands over her little black dress. She was filling out nicely again since she’d actually been sleeping and spending her days flying around and training with Hal. Coming home each night and having a home-cooked dinner with someone who’d become a close friend in a _very_ short time, and taking a long hot shower before getting into a clean bed at a decent time, was doing wonders for her health and sanity.

All of that mental stability seemed to have flown out the window though, now that Kara was ten minutes from arriving.

Lena was a mess.

Thankfully, her make-up was smudge proof and the dress small enough to cool her heated skin. She’d straightened her hair, and wore a blood-red shade of lipstick with smoky eye makeup. That type of outfit usually made her feel confident when she walked into any room, but seemed to have lost its power entirely. She should cancel. Even if Kara was already there, she would accept it.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. Just the thought of Kara’s disappointed face stopped her from cancelling. What if Kara didn’t show up, though? Lena’s stomach dropped heavily, churning, and she instantly felt sick. Kara could’ve changed her mind…What if she didn’t show and Lena was left waiting for her? How long should she wait? She shouldn’t have told Kara not to message her…

Her doorbell rang and Lena jumped in her skin, remembering too late she’d cleared Kara with Bill for that evening.

Wiping her sweaty palms on the material of her dress, she sucked in a calming breath that did absolutely nothing and walked to the door, trying to remain steady, and pulled it open before she could convince herself otherwise.

It was a mistake. She should’ve taken more time to emotionally and mentally prepare.

Her breath caught and she dumbly stood aside when Kara walked in, wearing a royal blue sleeveless dress and all Lena could see were arms and legs and that gorgeous smile and it made her head spin and her heart flutter.

She mindlessly pushed the door closed, gaze glued to Kara.

Despite having seen Kara dressed up before, it had never been _for_ _her_.

Kara ducked her head and adjusted her glasses and Lena snapped out of her haze, finally noticing that Kara was holding out a floor lamp… She frowned at the very familiar looking piece of furniture, glanced at the empty spot in her living room, then back at Kara’s face.

“…saw it was broken last time I was here…” She tuned into what Kara was saying and wordlessly accepted the designer lamp from her, placing it gently on the floor. Lena had used her old one as a bat, hitting things off of her wall unit, delighting at the shards and splinters that scattered everywhere, all because of the picture that had stood on one of the shelves, of her and Kara with their cheeks pressed together. Her, smiling like a dumbass and knowing nothing, while proudly labelling herself ‘best friend’…

It had been a really bad day.

“I remembered it was the one thing you indulged yourself in when you earned your first paycheque…” Kara continued and Lena dragged her gaze from the lamp to her nervous smile and earnest blue eyes. “I know it’s not the same, but you did love how it matched the décor…I had to get it second-hand, because they don’t manufacture them anymore...But I finally found a lady in Central City who’s immigrating and I got really lucky with the timing, right?” Kara snorted out a little chuckle and Lena flew at her, crashing their mouths together.

Kara seemed to lock her knees, easily absorbing the impact and kissed Lena back, making eager little noises in her throat that only spurred Lena on. Her body floated up and she wrapped her legs around Kara’s waist, moaning when strong hands gripped onto her now bare thighs, her dress riding up obscenely high.

“Fuck, Kara,” she mumbled and kissed her harder, feeling desperate and insane.

Kara kissed with the enthusiasm of a pubescent boy in anticipation of his first boob grope. So Lena took hold of Kara’s wrist, locked her thighs and brought the hand up to cup her breast.

Kara whimpered into her mouth, lips parting and stopped kissing Lena entirely, instead playing with her breasts, eyes screwed tightly shut. Lena tenderly kissed her face and into her neck, stomach clenching when Kara experimentally pinched a nipple.

“Take me to bed,” she hoarsely said and her stomach dipped, and then her back was pressed against her mattress, Kara laying between her legs.

Lena whined and arched into her, pulling her into another heated kiss that made Kara collapse on top of her. She was warm, so very warm, was all Lena could think as Kara clumsily mouthed at her neck and ground down between her thighs, both moaning when their centres barely touched.

“’S hot,” Kara mumbled, still pressed against her even as she lifted the hem of Lena’s dress higher, tugging in question as words seemed to fail her.

“Take it off,” Lena wholeheartedly agreed and an instant later her dress was gone and Kara sat up, her own dress disappearing at super-speed. A red lacy bra and panty set had Lena place a hand on Kara chest when she tried to lay down again because—

“Wow,” Kara muttered, staring down at Lena’s black lingerie against a full body blush. “You’re beautiful.”

Hot all over, Lena bit her lip to keep from smiling as Kara’s eyes swept over her. Glasses gone. Her hair undone and Lena’s stomach fluttered.

“I never knew,” Kara whispered, shaking her head, hands sweeping across Lena’s waist. “I never had any close female friends before.”

Lena frowned, trying to understand what they were talking about, stifling a moan when Kara reverently cupped her breasts over her bra. “I had Alex, but she’s my sister so that’s nowhere near the same—and I thought I was just appreciating how beautiful and sexy you were. No jealousy, just pure, unadulterated, admiration. Like a good feminist, you know?”

Lena lightly laughed, finally understanding. “You admired my breasts very often,” she said. It was what had her so confused, because sometimes Kara acted interested and then she went off to find a boyfriend. 

“They're very good breasts, Lena.”

Lena bit her lip, staring at the goddess perched between her thighs, and slowly pulled down the straps of her bra, baring her breasts to Kara whose gaze rapidly flicked between her face and her chest. Kara’s fingers slipped up her ribs, and Lena arched to allow them access to her back, where Kara unclipped her bra, peeled it away, and threw it out the door and down the hallway.

Lena’s laughter choked into a moan when Kara’s hot mouth covered a tight nipple and she was so wet already, but she could just lay there and let it happen. Trying not to think, while her stomach grew hot and she ground herself against Kara’s abs.

“Should we talk about this?” Kara asked, her teeth grazing over Lena’s nipple before she looked up, lips wet and kiss-swollen and Lena whimpered, shaking her head, yet still she said, “if you want to.”

“I want to be with you, Lena,” Kara softly said. “And I don’t want to ruin this. I’ve been thinking about nothing else—”

Lena kissed her, pulling Kara’s tongue into her mouth and then Kara shifted to straddle her thigh and they mindlessly rocked together while they kissed until Lena’s hands came to life and roamed the body that had haunted her dreams for years and softly cried out when Kara literally tore off her panties, doing the same with her own set of underwear before settling between Lena’s legs.

Those arms braced beside her shoulders and distracted her from Kara’s face who, when Lena looked back, was staring down their bodies to the space between Lena’s legs, where her thighs were wet and glistening.

Embarrassed, she tried to close her knees, only to be met by Kara’s hips, and then dark eyes looked up at her and Lena clenched around nothing, so needy, it hurt.

“May I touch you?” Kara rasped, licked her lips and Lena nodded shakily, nearly breaking the skin on the inside of her cheek when Kara’s fingers slid between slick folds. She released a harsh breath, trying to keep still when Kara gently rubbed her, lips parted in awe and then a finger circled her entrance and Lena moaned, meeting Kara’s questioning gaze.

Reaching down, she encouraged the finger inside and Kara’s eyes fluttered, both groaning and then they were hotly kissing again. Kara slowly pumping into her and Lena’s hands caressed over the muscles in her back, feeling drunk, because Kara was wet against her thigh, grinding down and making those soft whiny noises again.

She slipped a hand between Kara and her thigh and it got immediately trapped, a loud cry tore from Kara’s throat and she pressed her face into Lena’s neck, adding another finger she steadily pumped while she ground herself against Lena’s hand.

Lena didn’t have much room to work, but it really didn’t seem to matter to Kara, who breathed heavily into her ear, body moving with her thrusts and all Lena could do was move with her, throbbing around Kara’s fingers as her orgasm built.

“Gonna cum,” she senselessly mumbled into Kara’s ear, who groaned and trembled against her, muscles contracting as she moved and Lena pulsed around her fingers. “Yes. Yes. _Yes_ ,” she softly encouraged, throwing her head back when Kara picked up her pace, hips bucking wildly and Lena managed to slip one finger inside of her, cupping Kara’s sex who instantly came on her hand. Lena hoarsely cried out, her own climax tearing through her at the feel of Kara violently clenching around her finger.

They clung to each other, somehow Kara had wrapped an arm around Lena’s shoulders, holding her close. Lena blindly placed kisses to the side of Kara’s head where it was still mostly pressed into her neck. Periodically shuddering while they calmed, Lena became aware of how uncomfortably they were wrapped in each other, her hand trapped and probably dead, between her thigh and Kara still wet and lightly throbbing around her finger.

Fear of permanent nerve damage and possible amputation was the only reason she gently pulled out and placed a kiss against Kara’s temple when she softly whined, then groaned when Lena pressed a thigh back against her and wrapped her arm around Kara’s shaking shoulders, the other’s hand soothingly rubbing her lower back.

Kara’s fingers remained buried inside her and Lena was okay with them never leaving, content to simply stroke Kara’s hair and back, smiling to herself when a soft snore reach her ears. It was only then she worried about Kara’s fingers and how they might hurt if she didn’t remove them while she was still wet, but Kara was barely five minutes gone when her head jerked up.

“Bombs,” she mumbled and ripped her fingers out of Lena, who winced in pain and surprise. “Sorry!” Kara exclaimed kissing her tenderly. “I’m sorry, but there are bombs going off, I need to go.”

“Never heard that excuse before,” she couldn’t help but tease, but they weren’t in a place for that kind of teasing yet and Kara’s stricken face snapped back to her.

“No, Lena, _no_ —”

Lena cut her off with a quick peck. “Sorry, I was joking. Go save the day.” She smiled and Kara grinned back and gave her a much deeper kiss.

“You’re amazing,” she whispered against Lena’s lips and then in a blast of wind, was gone.

Smiling stupidly, Lena reached for the remote and switched on the TV, putting on the news out of curiosity, because _bombs_? After fetching her phone, she lazily stretched out on her bed again, squeezing her thighs together with a satisfied hum, and searched breaking news, even when it was on every channel she switched to. Six bombs had gone off, residential buildings were on fire all over National City.

One news channel showed Kara using her freeze breath and another showed two other buildings still burning while firefighters struggled to get to residents trapped inside. She wondered what she could do until she abruptly remembered the ring.

Her suit covered her body before Lena had even made up her mind to go help and she was on her balcony and lifting into the air, still wondering what she could possibly do.

🖤💚🖤

She reached the nearest building to her apartment that Kara wasn’t at, before she was ready and hovered in the air, the sound of people screaming swimming in her brain and the acrid smell of smoke sticking in her throat. The flames were near red in the dark and Lena hadn’t expected it to be so hot when she was a few dozen yards away.

Kara showed up and looked at her, eyes desperate and pleading for help and Lena immediately sprang into action. All around the building she created energy constructs of hundreds of firefighters blasting green water over the flames.

“I’ll get the remaining two!” Kara shouted and sped off like a bullet.

The fire was down in no time and actual firefighters swarmed the building to look for survivors. People pointed at her and clapped. A helicopter hovered nearby, and Lena quickly cloaked herself from view and flew off. She didn’t want to see what the cost had been of her hesitation.

How did Kara do it?

All that pressure from people constantly expecting her to save them… And that was only the ones in National City. Whatever was coming for Earth, Lena had no doubt Kara would be at the frontlines, protecting the world. She needed to get better, or rather, she needed to become more confident. Hal had said she was a natural. And it did feel natural when she allowed herself to trust her instincts.

Away from National City, she removed her cloak and flew around for a while beneath the moonlight, the wind against her face, clearing her mind.

“Hi.”

Lena startled and began falling, but caught herself after a few feet and glared up at a sheepish Kara who slowly lowered down to her level. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

Lena folded her arms across her chest, her heart settling and she almost spoke when she remembered Kara was talking to the Green Lantern, so she nodded briskly and even that deceit of trying to hide herself felt like a betrayal, especially when Kara smiled brightly.

“I just wanted to thank you for helping back there,” she said, flushed and sheepishly scratched the back of her neck, looking unbelievably charming. “Maybe we could team up more often if you’ll be sticking around and get to know each other better?” Lena’s eyes narrowed at the lopsided smile. “Those constructs you created were amazing—”

“Are you seriously flirting with me right now?” Lena angrily asked.

“What? _No_!” Kara shouted, seemingly affronted, which okay, that was a knock to her ego. “I wouldn’t. I—you seem nice enough, but…”

“But what?”

“I have someone, I think…” Her brows scrunched adorably and Lena’s heart melted.

“You think?”

“It’s new, well not really…I’ve known her for years, but we’re trying—and that’s neither here nor there so don’t worry about it. I don’t know if I’m single, but my heart is very much occupied.”

And Lena nearly kissed her, but didn’t, and she wondered why not and remembered the mask on her face. And why was she hiding from Kara? Hal never said she needed to. And it was so difficult to do nothing while Kara spoke to her as though she were a stranger. So difficult to pretend she wasn’t herself and Lena got angry again because she couldn’t open her mouth to lie, yet it had been so easy for Kara to purposely deceive her…

“How could you, Kara!”

Kara flew back a foot in surprise, eyebrows raised.

“How was it possible for you to lie to my face when I can’t even pretend for five minutes!”

“Lena?” Kara’s eyes widened in awe. “ _Lena!_ ” she exclaimed, grinning brightly and Lena let out a growl and shot up into the sky, flying upward as fast as she could, constructing a shield in front of her eyes as the speed made them water.

_“Lena, wait!”_

She pushed faster, screwing her eyes tightly shut and gritting her teeth until she felt the abrupt change in temperature and stopped, her body weightless. Kara could fetch her Legion ring and follow her, but Lena doubted she would be that intrusive. She didn’t flee any further, remaining just outside the planet’s exosphere, cautious to not get lost in space and instead let go, her body floating, stars glittering around her, Earth bright and massive below her.

🖤💚🖤

It was the middle of the night when she finally went home and because she didn’t have super eyesight and was admittedly lost in thought, she was only a few yards away when she spotted the blue and red figure seated on the ground next to her balcony doors, knees drawn to her chest, the living room light hiding her in the shadows. Kara looked up on her approach, rising slowly to her feet as Lena gently touched down on the balcony wall, taken aback by the way Kara stared up at her as though she’d hung the moon. All open-mouthed and wide-eyed wonder; the whole goddamn works.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Kara’s mouth snapped shut and she swallowed thickly, shoulders hunched and looking like a puppy who’d been caught destroying a shoe. “Like what?”

“Like I’m some kind of hero because I put on a stupid costume.”

“Oh,” Kara said, straightening. “You were a hero long before that costume that is very much not stupid.”

Lena frowned and looked down at herself, then glanced at Kara who was also looking at her, and smirked.

“How did I ever doubt you were interested in women…” she muttered to herself.

“Yeah, you really should’ve told me I was interested in you.”

Lena laughed softly.

“Mind if I joined you up there?” Kara asked and Lena realised she’d been posturing, looming over Kara and pretending she had any control over her feelings, or the situation. She nodded and Kara gently floated up and then sat on the balcony wall, Lena mechanically lowered beside her, both facing the cityscape. They were higher than most buildings, but Lena liked to be careful and immediately shielded them both from sight.

“What was that?” Kara frowned, looking around them.

“You felt that?”

“I felt something different in the air. I know it came from you. Like a vibration?” She cocked her head to the side, hair falling over her shoulder and Lena’s breath hitched. She stared at Kara’s face. Dumbfounded all over again by how her power was simply a part of her. Something she lived with every day. No ring to put on, or take off. No mystic forces had chosen her to do good. She’d simply decided that she wanted to help people. Too many of whom still held anti-alien sentiments.

Leaning forward, Lena pressed a soft kiss to her lips. It was a peck really, yet Kara’s eyes fluttered shut and Lena had already pulled away by the time they opened again; pupils blown wide, surrounded by a ring of brilliant blue.

“What was that for?” Kara whispered, drawing her bottom lip into her mouth.

“Felt appropriate,” Lena mumbled, which was the only answer she could give.

Kara blushed and ducked her head, but thankfully didn’t ask for more explanation.

“It’s a forcefield,” Lena remembered to answer her. “Shields us from sight and sound.”

“Wow,” Kara breathed, looking around and of course there was nothing to see, but it felt like something that Kara could feel her.

Falling silent, they sat side-by-side on the wall, Lena biting the inside of her lip when Kara’s pinkie finger nudged against hers and smiled when the instant she pushed back with her own, Kara wrapped them together.

“It wasn’t easy lying to you…” Kara murmured. “Sometimes I forgot I was lying, that you didn’t know it was me, but other times it was definitely a defence mechanism. Even when I wasn’t wearing a cape, I’ve had to hide who I was ever since I came to Earth, so it comes naturally to me. I had years of practise and I know how awful it seems to you now, but sometimes it was easier to fight with you as Supergirl. I’m not proud of it and I hate that me keeping the truth from you hurt you. I can only be grateful now that you know and hope you’ll allow me the opportunity to make it up to you someday.”

Lena stared at the sky, passed lit up skyscrapers, and nodded, her mask disappearing from her face. “Okay,” she softly said.

There was no point in going in circles. If she wasn’t going to let Kara go, she couldn’t keep getting angry at her over the past.

“I think the same way you couldn’t understand why I was making kryptonite, I couldn’t understand how you could lie to me. You changed my world, Kara. I didn’t come to National City to make friends, but then I met you and you showed me friendship and I think I too placed a lot of expectations on you to be this perfect friend to me and when you made this big mistake, I couldn’t believe it and I began to doubt everything…doubt myself and what was real between us, you know?”

Kara gave a jerky nod. “I should've fought for you,” she tremulously whispered. “Not only because I met Lex and Lillian and could see...I should've fought for you because you deserve to be fought for. Even if we'd never become friends, the person you are, the way you always help no matter if you’re angry or hurt, you always do what’s right, Lena, and you deserve someone in your corner unreservedly. I thought I could be that person for you. I wanted to be that person for you, but I failed and I’m so sorry.”

Lena had never thought that Kara could say anything to make what happened better, but part of what she loved about Kara, was all the pleasant surprises…

“I had placed you on a pedestal,” Lena admitted, “and couldn’t fathom how you could hurt me, and I reacted really badly.”

“I reacted really badly to your reaction,” Kara mumbled and they both smiled with glistening eyes and then quietly stared out at the city lights, because the air between them was thick and filled with too many unsaid things.

“So, no cape?” Kara softly asked.

Lena allowed a green cape to materialise and let it flutter behind her in the light breeze like Kara’s was, heart swelling at Kara’s almost child-like glee.

“Capes are a safety hazard,” she retorted, laughing when Kara pouted at her. “You know it’s true. You’re wearing that because it looks good.”

“Maybe,” Kara said. “Do you like it on me?”

“Very much…” Lena rasped, catching herself leaning closer when Kara stared at her mouth.

“It feels really good kissing you, Lena.”

“Same,” she mumbled in reply. “But maybe we moved a bit too fast…” Lena regretted saying it, because Kara’s smile dropped. “I know I was the one who invited you to my bedroom, so I’m not blaming you for anything. I wanted it to happen and I don’t regret it, but things still feel a bit shaky between us and I don’t know if that intimacy helped the situation, or not...”

“I could’ve said no,” Kara shyly admitted “I didn’t want to say no, though. So we can both take responsibility for what happened.”

Lena nodded. “I enjoyed being with you like that.”

Kara hummed, from somewhere deep inside her, and a delicious shiver shot up Lena’s spine. Kara’s blush could be seen even in the dim glow of light.

“Could we—would you be comfortable if we—” Kara paused and frowned and Lena took her hand, which caused Kara to stare at it even when she clutched back tightly. “Maybe we could spend some time together? Get used to each other again?”

Lena nodded and then softly smiled. “I’ve missed you.”

“So much,” Kara mumbled, leaning forward and then snapped back again. Her blush darkening. “I should go…It’s really late…”

“Uh-huh,” Lena said, looking at her face.

“Yeah,” Kara said, and they sat there on Lena’s balcony wall, holding hands and when Kara didn’t move, Lena leaned their shoulders together, smiling when Kara laid her cheek against Lena’s head, as they stared up at the stars.

🖤💚🖤


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the positive response for the previous chapter! <3, I know not everyone enjoys abrupt smut, but I figured with 3 years of built-up sexual tension, these slipups are bound to happen. Also they were making out at random when they were arguing, so the second they stopped fighting there was little stopping them from grabbing each other. So much of horny (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)
> 
> Also for those not familiar with me: I haven't watched Supergirl since s3, and only watch s5e13, which means my canon knowledge is not the strongest, and it's also difficult for me to write newer characters like Nia and Kelly because I only know them through fandom, which means I tend to avoid writing them altogether.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!
> 
> xx

Kara hadn’t asked her to help. She did when she thought Lena was a stranger, but hadn’t mentioned it again, not even when they’d sat on the balcony wall until the sun had come up… Maybe Kara had just been trying to be friendly to who she thought was a newcomer to National City… Or maybe she now knew that Lena had no idea what she was doing…

Supergirl already had backup, though. And if Lena did embrace the vigilante lifestyle, she hardly had super-hearing to let her know when there was trouble. She couldn’t only rely on the news, which more often than not reported after the fact. Maybe she could build a police scanner, but there was this war she was supposed to go fight in and an entire Space Sector she was responsible for…

The thought sat heavily on her chest, despite her heart excitedly thumping at the prospect of exploring new worlds, with new technologies, people, and cultures.

She glided above the ocean, dipping her fingers into the blue-green water, smiling even before Kara appeared at her side, easily keeping pace, blond hair flapping around a sun-kissed face that shimmered like gold.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Kara said and Lena hated how much she loved how silly Kara could be.

“Are you stalking me, Supergirl?”

“A little bit?”

Lena laughed, far too openly and joyously for her own comfort level, but her mood had lifted the instant Kara smiled at her.

“You said we could spend time together…” Kara said, cheeks tinted pink, “and I wasn’t sure if I should call you…Then I saw you flying out here and I thought I’d come say hi…”

“Hi.”

“Hi…” Kara breathed, blushed deeper and did a barrel roll over Lena’s back and to her other side, smirking attractively. Lena rolled her eyes despite being impressed by the control Kara had over her body and powers. The way her fingers had pumped into Lena, holding her so tightly, yet not leaving behind a single bruise…

“Race you to the lighthouse?” she blurted to stop herself from grabbing Kara and accidentally drowning them both.

Kara’s face lit up, both of them coming to a stop and hovering above the water, glancing in the direction of the lighthouse all the way on tiny San Pedro Island, a mere speck in the distance.

“Okay. And when I win?” Kara confidently asked and Lena had known she had a competitive streak, she’d seen it at Game Nights, often when they were partnered together and demolishing everyone, but this was new. Kara’s eyes sparked and she seemed to love the idea of having someone to compete with like this. Lena only hoped she could keep up. She didn’t have superspeed, but she could go fast.

She smirked. “What do you want?”

“Another chance to take you to dinner,” Kara said, suddenly bashful. “I enjoyed how our plans worked out, but that new Thai place downtown opened three months ago and I haven’t been there because each time I had the chance to go, I thought about how much you would love it there and it didn’t feel right to go without—”

“Okay,” Lena cut off the endearing ramble and Kara made her stomach flip with a lopsided grin.

“And if you win?”

Lena chuckled, but then paused at the expectant look. “Oh, I doubt I’ll win, Kara.”

“You beat me to the moon.”

“I didn’t go to the moon.”

“But you could’ve?”

“Apparently so.”

“Incredible…”

Lena felt her cheeks heat and crossed her arms over her chest.

“So what do you want if you win?” Kara asked again.

“I’ll have to think about that.”

“Okay.”

“Okay? Not scared of what I’ll ask?”

Kara’s pupils noticeably dilated and she bit her lip. “I’ll do whatever you want me to...”

Lena dropped; her feet splashing against the water’s surface getting her to refocus. Face flaming hot, she slowly floated up to a grinning Kara. And she would never get used to being so blatantly flirted with by her. Discovering this side of Kara has been stroke-inducingly delicious.

She cleared her throat and Kara seemed content to ignore the affect her words had, even as her blue eyes mischievously twinkled in the sunlight. “Okay. Let’s go. First one to place a hand on the lighthouse wins.”

“On go?”

Lena nodded.

“Three…Two…One… _Go._ ”

Even when she knew she didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell, Lena was determined to give it her all. Amazed that she could track Kara with her eyes, far ahead of her and obviously holding back; that ass of steel distractingly enticing. Then she remembered the first rule of winning: keep your eyes on the finish line, no distractions, no matter if the odds were stacked against you.

Looking to the lighthouse in the distance, she pushed her body onward, tingling all over as her power burst from within, warming the blood in her veins, like the euphoric buzz of reaching the peak of a runner’s high. In a blink, she was in front of the lighthouse, slowing her body enough to not go right through the brick wall, but her shoulder still slammed into it, causing numerous cracks throughout the building. Thankfully, with her shields, she barely felt it.

Kara arrived a second later, stopping a lot more gracefully and hovered opposite her, while Lena sheepishly smiled.

“You okay?” Kara asked, worriedly glancing between Lena and the wall.

Lena nodded. “I have shields.”

“Cool…” Kara instantly grinned. “And you disappeared again!” She seemed delighted at this.

“Again?”

“The other day, when you were running from me. You blinked away and then you were suddenly up in space.”

“Oh,” Lena realised that she must’ve warped.

Kara floated a little closer and Lena’s back hit the lighthouse, keeping very still when Kara looked her over and she realised she must’ve been using her x-ray vision. Lena was about to ask, when a hand gently cupped her cheek and a thumb brushed beneath her mask…

“You won,” Kara softly stated.

“Because I cheated.”

“We said we’d race. Not which of our powers we should use.”

“True…” Lena conceded, entirely distracted by Kara’s proximity.

“What do you want, Lena?” she murmured, pressed up as close as she could get, without them touching. “All I can think about is making you feel good...Obsess over the places on your body my mouth hasn't been yet…”

Groaning, Lena felt herself falling a split-second before strong arms wrapped around her and kept her in the air. Blue eyes intently pierced her face and then she was kissing Kara, moaning when she was pressed against the wall again, Kara’s body securing her firmly in place.

“This suit…” Kara mumbled in between tonguing her mouth and Lena nodded. Because Kara’s suit against hers felt amazing. Like they were both naked but allowing for a little friction from the nanotech. Her hands wandered across Kara’s breasts, nails scraping across her nipples and Kara sucked on her tongue and pushed a thigh between Lena’s legs. She shamelessly ground against it, tightly fisting blond hair in her grip and she should really ask Hal whether the suit needed to be cleaned, or if it cleaned itself, because she was soaked within seconds.

Desperately needing Kara to know what she’d done, Lena grabbed Kara’s wrist and placed her hand between her legs. Kara moaned and fell against her, even as she slowly stroked through her folds, Lena belatedly realising that she’d made the crotch part of her suit disappear.

The brick beside her head cracked more from the pressure of Kara’s hand pressed against it, despite the tenderness of the fingers gently circling Lena into a squirming, needy, mess.

“Take me home,” she panted, nails digging into Kara’s back, the fluttering cape tickling her knuckles. She tried to make a mental note to send a donation to get the lighthouse fixed and also wondered how to ask Kara to carry her, because she doubted she could fly in the state she was in.

But then Kara let go of her, sending Lena careening to the jagged rocks below, but quickly caught her again. The falling to her death instantly shook her out of her lustful daze, which meant she noticed the look of pain on Kara’s face and how she looked away from her as though she didn’t want to be there anymore even when she gently held Lena up.

Her chest tightened and she activated her ring. “I’ve got it, thank you,” she rasped, her suspicions only confirmed when Kara immediately let go and flew a few feet back, but didn’t leave.

“Kara?”

Sad eyes turned to her and Lena’s heart hurt.

“Is that all you want from me?”

_What?_

“What?”

“I know I’m not exactly innocent in how quickly things escalate between us, especially just now when I know I started it, but we could just kiss sometimes, right? Not that I’m not always thinking about more of late…and wow, I really, really want to, all the time, Lena, but do you _only_ want to have sex with me?”

“Oh.”

“Because that’s not what I want. And we said we’d take it slow, but it’s so hard now that I’ve been with you not to want to be with you like that again, and you need to help me at least a little bit to not get so lost in you, because it’s very difficult not to…”

“Oh,” Lena breathed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel like that was all I wanted…I think years of wanting you is trying to come out all at once.”

Kara smiled tentatively. “Years?”

“Oh.”

“ _Years_ , Lena?” she seemed both surprised and in awe.

“Yes?”

Kara frowned. “Why didn't you say anything?”

“I thought you were straight!”

Kara’s cheeks tinted red. “Yeah. Me too.”

“And I wasn't going to risk our friendship by asking.”

Kara floated closer. “If you’d asked, I probably would’ve figured it out sooner.”

“So this is all my fault?” Lena retorted and wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck, fighting down a shudder when Kara’s hands slipped over her waist and around her back. And Kara really had no right to think Lena only wanted sex when she was the one touching her like that.

“Yes. But I forgive you.”

Lena grinned and squished her nose against Kara’s cheek, wanting to be close and intimate, but not maul her again.

“What do you want for winning the race, Lena?”

“I want to go to this new Thai place that opened up downtown…”

She felt the way Kara broadly grinned. Felt the warm breath across her cheek when Kara whispered “I love you” into her ear like a little prayer.

They both froze and thankfully Lena’s defenses had all shot up, so when Kara let go of her again and propelled back a few yards, Lena managed to keep herself hovering in the air.

Staring at each other, both seemingly in shock, Lena’s heart beat so violently, she could only focus on that.

“I’m sorry!” Kara shouted at her and Lena winced.

“That you love me?”

“No, that I just shoved that on you out of nowhere.”

Lena nodded, not because she didn’t love Kara back with her entire being, but because she immediately doubted the sincerity behind the love confession, which was more a her-thing, than a Kara-thing. But was also a Kara-thing because how would Kara know? Wanting Lena seemed an entirely new experience for her. She didn’t want to insult her by sharing her reservations though, so she kept quiet and Kara looked physically pained, but Lena knew anything she said right then might hurt her more and she really didn’t want that.

A flash of relief came over Kara and she stared into the distance. “I need to go to Metropolis,” she said and both of them released a breath.

Lena nodded. “Call me about that dinner you owe me,” she said and the bright grin Kara flashed her made her think that everything would be okay.

🖤💚🖤

“ _Wow, your babies are gonna be so powerful. Don_ _’t worry, Uncle Hal will help keep them on the right path._ ”

Lena rolled her eyes and gently landed on her balcony, arms filled with grocery bags. “ _I highly doubt you_ _’re the responsible Uncle type. More the one that gives them their first beer and takes them to strip clubs._ ”

_“Yeah, I’ll be the fun Uncle you warn them against.”_

_“Nothing wrong with being the fun Uncle. I could’ve certainly used one when I was growing up,”_ she remarked, walking through her apartment to place the groceries on the kitchen island.

_“Aw, I’ll take you to your first strip club when I get back, don’t worry.”_

_“You’re the best, Uncle Hal.”_

_“You’re going to love Candy, she’s blond with blue eyes; just your type.”_

_“Actually, that’s never been my type.”_

_“Obviously true love then.”_

Lena laughed even as her heart fluttered. _“Let’s not jinx it.”_

 _“…don’t….”_ A sound like static had her tilting her head.

_“Hal?”_

_“…don’t…be…”_

“Hal, you’re breaking up, I can’t hear you!” she said and thought out loud.

_“Don’t be fooled, Lena. I’m in your head. The only static in there is your brain telling you, you don’t deserve the girl.”_

She rolled her eyes at herself for falling for the trick. _“Fuck you, sincerely.”_

 _“Love you too, but I do need to go, though,”_ he said, through a laugh. _“We’re doing recon to hopefully find out what Sinestro’s plans are for Earth, among other things. I’ll keep you updated.”_

_“Thank you, Uncle Hal.”_

_“Stay safe and use protection.”_

_“You too.”_

There was no way to hang up, it was more of a feeling that he was gone and Lena set about packing away her groceries, then remembered how weird it had been for Kara to go to Metropolis, so she went to switch on the news in the living room. She was walking back to the kitchen to get dinner started when the commentary had her stopping in her tracks, spinning on her heel, and rushing back to the screen.

She stared, mouth agape at the fight happening in Metropolis. Kara, her cousin, and J’onn were fighting what appeared to be another Superman. One in an armoured blue and yellow suit, noticeably bulkier than his alternate self. The symbol on his chest she recognised from the ring’s information on the Yellow Lantern Corps that Sinestro’s army consisted of. The other Superman seemed a lot more powerful too. Immediately proved when a backhand across J’onn’s face sent him reeling into the distance.

Lena was out the balcony doors the instant he set his gaze on Kara.

🖤💚🖤

She was panicking, which made it a near impossible task to contact Hal, as she was also searching her frantic brain for ways to defeat a Kryptonian and reading up on Superman-Prime, who according to the ring, was from a parallel Earth devoid of any superheroes, or superhumans. His Earth was destroyed and over time, his convictions and morals became twisted and warped, and he now believed he was the only one worthy of holding the Superman mantle, despite the fact that he’d become a psychotic, murderous, and sadistic villain. Sinestro used him frequently to take out other Kryptonians, leaving the Earths they protected, defenceless.

After learning that he specialised in murdering Kryptonians, Lena let go of her futile attempts at contacting Hal and warped to Metropolis where she found Superman-Prime holding Superman in a chokehold. Kara was on his back, wrestling with one arm and attempting to get him to release his hold. The three of them were pretzelled together so tightly, Lena wasn’t sure how to help without hurting Kara too. If she would even be able to hurt them at all.

Hovering a few yards from the struggle, she was still able to hear the sudden sickening _crack_ of bones and froze. So did Kara. Superman-Prime smirked sinisterly and released his hold, causing Superman’s lifeless form to fall toward the ground.

A heart-wrenching cry tore Lena’s gaze from his body to Kara, who still stared at her cousin in distraught disbelief, before Superman-Prime wrapped his hand around Kara’s throat and Lena grew nauseous she was so scared. Knowing she couldn’t afford to hesitate again, she covered herself in a forcefield and propelled toward him, crashing into his side.

He let go of his grip, but she’d barely shifted him two feet before his arm moved at superspeed and punched her in the chest, her shield absorbing the majority of the impact, and still the pain and force of it, had her hurtling half a mile away.

Before he could go after her, Kara was on him, thankfully, giving Lena a chance to catch her breath and realise that despite her sternum feeling shattered, she in fact was still in one piece, and nothing had been broken.

Flying back to the battle, the two Kryptonians moved so fast, she could barely track them, only able to find them by the sound of the thunderous blows landing on their bodies and one of them throwing the other through a building, causing it to collapse in on itself. A red and blue blur sped away from the city, no doubt Supergirl leading him away from causing more destruction. And knowing Kara, most likely away from Lena too.

She quickly scanned the rubble and debris, having no idea how to check for people needing help from that height, heart pounding and drowning in worry that was directed solely at one person in that moment. Biting the inside of her cheek, she swallowed down the guilt of leaving, and flew after Kara. That crack that took Superman’s life drove her forward and her stomach churned again when she found him with his arm around Kara’s neck, holding her from behind, his face expressionless while he applied pressure.

Kara’s teary eyes met hers, pleading and Lena knew she wanted her to run, but Lena couldn’t. Not when she was a fragile human with no powers had Lena been able to refuse Kara help. Maybe because she’d always known that Kara would fly through a storm of kryptonite for her too.

Gasping at an insane thought, her fingertips tingled. By then, she was as familiar with the scientific composition of kryptonite as most people were with the culinary composition of their favourite sandwich. She also knew exactly the effect it had on a Kryptonian’s body, which given the nature of the Green Lantern’s power, was the most important information. It was a risk and she hoped that if she failed, she would at least draw the bastard’s attention away.

Kara’s eyes fluttered shut, her arms fell limply at her sides, and Lena screamed, her heart dropping into her stomach, and green pouring from her hands like beams.

Superman-Prime cried out when it struck them both, releasing Kara, and because she could only focus on so much, Lena made a floating bed to catch Kara’s limp body while she desperately sent another blast of kryptonite his way as deterrent. It poured in a constant stream from her hands and into his chest and he viciously bared his teeth at her.

With a final angry scream her way, he turned and blurred off in the opposite direction.

Pursuing him wasn’t even a thought and Lena breathlessly flew downward as the bed floated nearer.

“Please, please, please,” she softly chanted, afraid to discover whether Kara was as lifeless as her body looked. Driven only by the thought that she needed to help, Lena reached out a trembling hand and placed it against Kara’s neck, nearly collapsing groundward when she felt a faint pulse through her own hammering heart.

She gathered Kara in her arms, disappeared the bed, and was staring down at her face when J’onn floated up, bruised and barely managing to keep himself in the air.

She protectively cradled Kara closer.

“I’ll take her to Alex,” she softly said. “You need to go take care of Superman.”

🖤💚🖤

It was only because she knew Alex, that she was confident she would have a sunlamp in her home. Apparently J’onn had told her Lena was on the way because she didn’t seem surprised when she opened her front door, leading Lena to the guest bedroom where it was already set up over the bed.

Lena laid Kara down and stepped back when Alex set to work.

“Green Lantern, was it?” Alex asked, still focused on Kara, voice rough and shaky, making the lump in Lena’s throat only thicker in commiseration.

She nodded. Realising Kara hadn’t told them who she was. Because if Alex didn’t know, chances were no one else in their exclusive little friend-group did.

“Thank you,” Alex croaked. “I need to go check on Superman’s status. You’re welcome to stay with her.”

She then walked out and Lena knew that though she was no doubt going to check in with J’onn, she also most likely needed a moment to gather herself after seeing her sister like that. Lena’s own legs were still shaking and the nausea in her stomach hadn’t abated.

Kara’s cheeks were warm beneath the artificial light, and her skin looked filled with life, lightly flushed when Lena gently caressed over it. She took Kara’s hand in both of hers and leaned down to press a kiss to her brow. 

J’onn and Alex had no idea who the Green Lantern was, yet they trusted her to fly off with Kara and to be alone in a room with her defenceless and vulnerable body. Regardless of how many times Lena had saved Kara in the past, of Kara telling everyone that Lena was her ‘best friend’, she’d always been a last resort, only called in for tactical purposes to help save the day. It could be argued that they couldn’t offer her such moments alone with Kara before, because her identity had been a secret, but that only angered Lena more.

They could say that the secret-keeping was to protect her, but she’d been in more danger than all of them combined, for years. Arguably, not telling her, had only placed her in more danger. And there the Green Lantern stood, a perfect stranger to them, already accepted into their little group more than Lena had ever been, granted liberties to remain at Kara’s side that Lena never had...

She squeezed Kara’s hand and reluctantly let go, backtracking until her back hit the wall, and phased outside. Unable to leave Kara entirely, she floated up to the rooftop and sat on the ledge to wait and make sure that Kara was truly okay, and most importantly, to ensure that Superman-Prime didn’t come anywhere near her again.

🖤💚🖤

Pic 1: Superman-Prime (a.k.a Superboy-Prime) after joining Sinestro Corp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admit it, you guys thought I was making it up that the Green Lantern could make Kryptonite, yeah? lol
> 
> Also, I realise in all my Supercorp fics I don't write Superman in a very flattering light... Thing is, I love Superman. I love all Supermen... I just despise CW Superman and it tends to bleed through.
> 
> Superman is awesome though.
> 
> @NotSoEvilPanda


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the great response to this fic <3  
> It was mentioned that I should've tagged this with Lena being extra and I wholeheartedly agree lol  
> If you guys feel that this should get more tags, feel free to let me know. Sometimes I start a fic somewhere and the characters take it in an entirely different direction xD
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter!
> 
> @NotSoEvilPanda

It was well into the night when Hal floated down and sat beside her on the rooftop ledge…

“She okay?” he asked.

Kara’s friends had been in and out of the apartment. J’onn had returned hours ago from seeing to Superman’s body, and had spotted Lena. He thankfully didn’t ask her to leave, or make any other attempt at conversation, though he did send her a suspicious look. Considering she was lurking outside like a stalker, she could hardly blame him. No doubt her presence was only permitted because she’d proved herself useful and Superman-Prime remained a threat…

Cat Grant herself had entered the building earlier and Lena felt worse for wondering if she was yet another person who had known that Kara was Supergirl. Everyone who visited left worried and perturbed, no doubt reeling from this foe who had managed to kill the Man of Steel.

Kara had taken the brunt of that first kryptonite blast and Lena felt guilty that she was most likely the reason Kara was in the state she was in. It was Reign all over again and Lena was even more terrified than she’d been back then. Because Reign’s focus was on cleansing the world, whereas Superman-Prime’s focus was entirely on eliminating Kara.

“She’ll be okay. They’re taking care of her,” she replied.

“Are _you_ okay?”

“He’s going to come after her again, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you know he would come?”

“We suspected it could be a possibility, considering his M.O. and that he’s obsessed with being the only Super on any Earth, but I couldn’t have known for sure. He was in another sector when I came to meet you, and it was more likely that the Anti-Monitor would’ve continued what he started here.”

Lena wanted to blame Hal for not warning them, but he had, he’d never taken the threat lightly. And she had the ring, she could’ve looked more into Sinestro Corps sooner. She just hadn’t wanted to deal with the reality they were in. The universe was at war. A war she needed to fight in. One currently on her doorstep, threatening everything she loved...

“What do we do now?” she asked.

“We fight.”

“That’s the plan?”

“That’s war. Whether we lay a trap and wait, or go looking for him. It won’t end until one side is eliminated. They have no interest in negotiating. We’ve tried, with only bad outcomes for our side. Superman-Prime won’t stop until we stop him.”

Lena hung her head and Hal wrapped an arm around her.

“I won’t leave again, okay? Not until we get him.”

🖤💚🖤

She’d hacked into various private and government satellites and institutions to search for any knowledge of Superman-Prime’s whereabouts. He’d disappeared though, most likely to regroup, and though she wasn’t at all prepared to face him again, part of Lena wished he’d just show up and get it over with. The waiting was turning her into a nervous wreck.

Though most of that anxious energy most likely stemmed from the fact that she hadn’t heard anything from Kara...

Hal guarded her when Lena needed to sleep and monitor her surveillance. They both kept out of sight and as the week progressed, Hal took over guarding duties entirely while Lena continued her feverish search. He only monitored Kara’s movements from afar, which she felt bad about, but they weren’t invading her privacy, just scouting the vicinity she was in.

That day though, was Superman’s memorial service, to be held in Metropolis. Hal was there too, but Lena didn’t go, because doubt had crept into her brain, over whether Kara blamed her for her cousin’s death. Whether the reason she’d been silent, was because she thought Lena could’ve saved Superman too, in the exact same way she’d saved Kara… Or maybe the fact that she created kryptonite with her mind, reminded Kara of their past issues…

She stood on top of a building overlooking the front steps of the D.E.O. where Lex was behind a podium, paying tribute to Superman. Various large screens were set up against the surrounding buildings where the crowd of almost a thousand would be able to watch the memorial service live. Right now, though, they only reflected Lex’s shiny bald head. He looked like someone drew a beard on an egg.

Lena sent another tiny mosquito construct toward him and delighted in the tightness around his eyes at the stab to his jaw. His reaction was minuscule, but behind him, Lillian stood, forever poised, and glanced at him in disapproval. Luthors simply did not twitch like plebeians. Especially not live on camera.

Lena absolutely hated that she still admired Lillian. Who wasn’t born a Luthor, and still she’d held her own until the world accepted her as the indomitable family matriarch. She was a remarkable mentor, and a god-awful mother. Lena’s feelings toward her would forever remain tortuously mixed. However much she’d written her off, Lillian had painstakingly shaped Lena into the woman she’d become, both through force and neglect.

“What do you think of the new superhero, Mr. Luthor?” a reporter asked. “Supergirl called her the Green Lantern.”

Lex stopped his sneer just in time and turned it into a genial smile. Lena sent her mosquito construct to stab his upper lip, chuckling when he smacked at it, gritted his teeth, and flashed the world another strained smile, his face red with restraint.

“My apologies, the hazards of outside conferencing.”

A low din of laughter sounded, but quieted as they waited to hear his opinion on the Green Lantern.

“I think that this unfortunate event has shown us that we can't only rely on the benevolence of aliens,” Lex gravely stated and Lena had known it. She’d known he would turn it into _this_. Aside from avoiding Kara, this was the reason she’d opted to not go guard her in Metropolis herself. This fucking threat brewing at home. Because of course Lex would attempt to capitalise on the awful situation to further his own agenda.

“We, as the human race, need to find our own strength,” he firmly stated. “Stand on our own two feet. That other Superman didn’t come here for us. He was brought here by the aliens we trusted to protect us. He came for _them_ and yet 94 human lives were lost during their personal battle.”

Lena’s chest tightened, her stomach filling with dread at the too many nods in the crowd. This was the rhetoric that had led to Lex’s insanity before. This was how it had started. She was watching history repeat itself in a world that didn’t know any better. A world that had been spared the dire ramifications of the feud between Lex Luthor and Superman.

“Rest assured, though, that Luthor Corp will manufacture the necessary weaponry to defend our Earth. We’ll work together with our human law enforcement and military personnel. And when next a hostile alien force invades our airspace, we will be ready for them.”

🖤💚🖤

“Look at us, all sexy at this funeral,” Hal said, seated on the backseat of the town car parked at the cemetery, clearly attempting to fill the quiet that had fallen since they’d pulled up and Lena had instantly frozen. At least the driver had gone for a walk, leaving them sitting in matching black, three-piece suits, in the stifling silence. “Shit...you weren't close with him, were you?”

“No. I'm a Luthor, that's all he’d bothered to learn about me.”

“Kara's different, though.”

Lena nodded, staring out the tinted window. The sky was grey, clouds hanging heavily, and it would no doubt rain soon. She was happy she’d opted not to wear a dress, and absently fingered the knot of her tie.

“You sure we shouldn't have gone to the church?” Hal made another valiant attempt at conversation.

“I don't like churches.”

“Me neither. Not sure why they feel more ominous than an actual cemetery.”

“We shouldn’t have come.”

“Not like they sent out invitations...” he said. “And we’re just here at the grave site, not invading homes, or anything. They can just pretend we’re not here. I’m sure they have other things on their minds today.”

“She didn't call me, Hal.”

“Isn't the onus on you to reach out? You saved her and then disappeared.”

She sighed. Most of Kara’s week had been spent in Smallville with the Kent’s, dealing with the passing of a family member, while Lena expected her to what? She wasn’t quite sure, but Hal had somehow convinced her that it would be okay to show up to the funeral where the majority of people in attendance hated her guts if they didn’t flat out want to see her locked up somewhere.

“Listen, I've seen the way she looks at you. Trust me, she would want you to be here.”

“The people around her tend to suspect me at the drop of a hat. Given some of my past actions, don't be surprised if I'm chased off.”

“Please, I’ve been chased off from places plenty of times before, you’re not special.”

Her lips tilted into an involuntary smile and she rolled her eyes at his pleased grin.

“Just so we’re on the same page, am I no longer your lover Hal, since you and Kara are sort of dating now?”

“She knows you were never my lover.”

“So who do you want me to say I am if they ask?”

“They probably will interrogate you. Say whatever you want to say.”

“Hm, we’ll play by it ear,” he said and got out, walking around to open the door for her. “Your good pal Hal should suffice to people who aren’t your friends.”

She adjusted her suit jacket and hooked her arm through his proffered one, allowing him to guide her across the grass where a small intimate gathering of Superman’s closest friends and family were. If it had been half as big as Superman’s Memorial service, they would’ve blended in, but given that the service hadn’t yet started, more than a few noticed them walking up. Martha, Eliza, Alex, Nia and J’onn. A teary Lois with a crying baby made Lena’s heart clench, before her gaze landed on Kara, who though sad, wasn’t crying.

It seemed rude to smile at her, and Lena fought down the urge to, instead awkwardly waving, which ended up feeling worse... Kara smiled though, at that, and walked over, and everyone who hadn’t been looking at them, was made aware of her presence. Alex glared daggers, as did James who had probably been informed of the Myriad debacle. Martha and Lois seemed to not care at all anymore, instead focusing back on the closed coffin.

Lena couldn’t focus on anyone else either, as her mind drew a blank as to what she could possibly tell Kara who was nearing her in a pretty black dress, and Lena’s lips parted, moving without sound, before Kara wrapped her in a hug and Lena’s eyes fell shut as she tightly held her back.

“Thank you for coming,” Kara rasped into her neck and Lena’s chest clenched when she felt how wet Kara’s face had become.

“Of course,” she hoarsely replied, gently rubbing Kara’s lower back while the service started in the background.

Kara pulled away and pressed a chaste kiss to Lena’s lips, in front of god and everyone, took her hand, and led her closer. She frantically glanced around to see Hal had abandoned her and now stood on the other side of the gathering, next to Nia who was confusedly frowning at him. And it really was a testament to how well she’d come to know him that his eyes communicated a thumbs up and a giant grin, without him thankfully actually doing so.

The service was long and mournful and Lena kept her eyes firmly on the grass in front of her feet while she clung to Kara’s hand. And when the coffin was lowered into the ground, she startled when Kara’s lips were at her ear.

“Can we go?” she whispered to Lena who frowned, confused, because it sounded as though Kara was asking her permission. She looked up into teary blue eyes pleading with her and abruptly understood that Kara needed to leave and that being taken away made that somehow easier.

 _“Kara needs to leave,”_ she projected toward Hal. _“Sorry to abandon you.”_

_“I’ll be fine. Go take care of your girl. I’ll cause a diversion if they come after you.”_

_“Please don’t.”_

He winked and Lena sent him a half-hearted glare before she tugged Kara away, leading her by the hand, deeper into the cemetery. It began raining, and though Kara didn’t seem to notice, Lena constructed a green umbrella and covered them both. She was rewarded with a soft smile, eyes lighting a little in wonder, and their pace slowed to a stroll rather than a brisk getaway into the looming forest.

It probably wasn’t the time, but Lena had vowed not to hurt Kara again and she thought she was doing what Kara wanted by not contacting her that week, but Kara seemed to have been waiting for her to reach out, and would anything ever just be clear and easy between them? Would she be second-guessing herself until they crashed this runaway train they’d both eagerly jumped on?

“Why didn’t you call me, Kara?” she softly asked, proud that she’d at least kept the accusation out of her tone. She was mostly sad and regretful that she could’ve provided comfort a lot sooner had she known it would be welcomed.

Kara bit her lip and stopped in a small clearing to face her, inhaling a steady breath, before answering. “I…I didn’t want to overwhelm you…”

“I wasn’t the one who had suffered a tremendous loss in terms of family and the impact on the entirety of my people.”

Her eyes watered and Lena winced, knowing she’d said that far too flippantly. “I’m sorry. I just don’t understand. I’ve been worried and you seem open to comfort from me…Did you need some time alone?”

Kara shook her head. Eyes glistening. “I told you I loved you,” she rasped and Lena’s stomach flipped at the reminder and the randomness. “And then I went off and almost got killed, but you saved me…Like you always save me…And things were just starting to get better between us. Nice and light and sexy…And I know I already got too intense with my feelings, and though I wanted to see you all week, I—it felt like it would’ve put even more pressure on us, if I leaned on you during this time…”

Lena’s lips parted and she tried to process. Kara’s reasoning was logical. She couldn’t help but take most of the responsibility for why Kara had been so wary to add pressure to their fledgling relationship when Lena tended to panic about it at the drop of a hat.

“I should’ve reached out and told you that I was here for you. I’m sorry that I didn’t, Kara.”

Kara smiled at her as though there was nothing to forgive and Lena nearly rolled her eyes, but Kara was looking equal parts sad, hopeful and uncertain.

“Is your favourite movie still Hercules?”

Kara frowned and cocked her head. “Yes…” she said with a confused little smile. “I remember watching it with you.”

Lena laughed. “I still don’t know how it ends.”

“Yeah, you fell asleep with your head on my shoulder. Your hair was up in a messy bun and you wore that blue pyjama set with the little green aliens on it...”

Lena’s breath hitched at the detail, searching Kara’s face who seemed lost in thought.

“You were so soft and warm against me, and your hair smelled so good right beneath my nose…I remember thinking then how much I loved you, and it made my chest hurt…I thought it was because of this big secret I was keeping from you…but now I know it was so much more than just that…”

Lena closed her mouth and cleared her throat, disappearing the umbrella because the rain had stopped at some point, and for some reason it helped her breathe easier, not being trapped with Kara beneath it.

Kara laughed as if to herself, seemingly oblivious to Lena’s tightening heart. “I used to think it was because I identified with Hercules a lot, that I liked the movie so much.”

“And now?” Lena whispered.

Kara adjusted her glasses and shyly ducked her head. “Now I think it’s ‘cause I really liked Megara, and he got to be with her in the end.”

Lena laughed and squeezed her arm. “You’re so gay.”

Kara grinned brightly and looked on the verge of telling her she loved her again, so Lena stepped away and pointed her ring, not because she needed to, but so Kara would think she moved away to use it. In the clearing in front of them, she formed the energy construct even as her eyes remained glued to Kara’s face watching as her features lit up in realisation.

“Lena…” she whispered in awe, walking carefully closure. “Can I touch it?”

“Sure,” Lena replied, following her to where the green Pegasus proudly stood and Kara patted down its neck as though it were a real horse. Lena had thankfully been around a few horses and could make it look real enough as it stomped a hoof and shook its mane, much to Kara’s delight.

She allowed Kara some time to examine the Pegasus and went to stand on the other side, watching her across its back. “Silly me, here I thought the reason was because you loved the Pegasus so much, like you told me it was. Though I could try to make you a Megara, instead of taking you flying…”

Kara’s head snapped to her, eyes bright with excitement and Lena thought that finally she’d found her purpose in life. When she got Kara’s face to look like that, every breath spent on securing her happiness was worth it.

Kara pressed her face into a green mane, eyes shining at Lena. “I like you far more than I like Megara,” she mumbled.

Lena laughed and lithely floated onto the Pegasus’s back and Kara stared up at her with that look of wonder that made Lena feel both undeserving and proud.

“Are you gonna show me the world?”

“Would you prefer a magic carpet?”

“Next time. Do you want me in the front or the back?”

“Where do you want to be?”

“Well I'm taller, so the back probably.”

Lena nodded and Kara lithely floated up, both of them ignoring the fact that they could fly perfectly fine on their own. Kara’s hands rested carefully on her waist and Lena leaned back, eyes and stomach fluttering when Kara wrapped her arms around her.

She bit her lip, finally noticing it had begun to lightly drizzle again and quickly allowed the Pegasus to spread its large wings, wishing she could see Kara’s face and could practically feel the internal squeal at her back. She contemplated her decisions in life when she had to fight her motion sickness when those wings caused the Pegasus to violently jerk on each powerful flap on their ascent.

Shielding them from sight and the rain as they cleared the treetops, Lena rolled her eyes at herself, because her science-brain was making the Pegasus flap, when it really didn’t need to.

She had its wings curl back and then ascended with a steep curve toward the clouds, breaking through them to where the afternoon sun brightly shone over a sea of fluffy white, as though they’d entered a different realm. She kept the shield up against the winds and had the Pegasus spread its wings until they smoothly glided above the clouds.

Kara didn’t say a word, only tightly held onto Lena, her face buried in Lena’s neck.

“I don't remember much about my mother's funeral,” Lena found herself saying. “Only that someone had told me then that it was always sunny above the clouds. I didn't understand what they meant until I was flying to the U.S. the next day and saw it for myself. Back then, I assumed that this was what heaven looked like and started screaming on the Luthor private jet when we descended, because I was being taken away from my mother again...”

Kara hugged her tighter and placed a kiss on her shoulder.

Lena laughed at herself. “Sorry, when I started that story, I had meant for it to turn out more comforting, like every cloud has a silver lining type thing…I've never done well with loss...”

“Me neither,” Kara thickly rasped. “Being here with you is comforting. That story was both sad and cute. Is that why you've been scared of flying since?”

“Huh...I never thought about it that way...It probably could be part of the reason. Being taken away from my home so abruptly couldn’t have been good for my emotional development.”

“You’re not afraid of flying anymore, though.”

“No, not anymore.”

“Because now you can fly.”

Lena shook her head. “I wasn’t afraid any of the times I flew with you…”

Kara kissed the back of her head and Lena covered the arms around her stomach with her own.

“I remember you telling me about your dad,” Kara softly said. “How he was never home and always working. That you cherished those few times you actually got to spend with him when you were home from boarding school…”

Lena listened quietly, not sure why they were talking about Lionel.

“You told me that you loved him, but when he died, the hole he left behind had been empty for a long time already...”

 _Oh_ _…_

“I feel that way about Kal…”

🖤💚🖤

It was late afternoon when Lena attempted to find her way back to Smallville, but Kara asked if they could go home instead. Lena had responded by asking Kara to point to where home was and got a laugh for her troubles, which she counted as a win.

“National City’s southwest from here.”

“How do you know?” Up above the clouds it looked the same in every direction.

“I can see Venus and then there’s the sun to help navigate…”

 _Of course._ “Just so you know, I’m very impressed right now.”

“I’ve been told I’m very impressive.”

“Uh-huh,” Lena agreed and pushed the Pegasus faster, before they got distracted the way they usually did. Kara holding tightly to her seemed perfect enough though, as the sky cleared and they soared above farmlands and cityscapes. National City loomed proudly on the horizon and Lena wondered if she’d warped again, entirely distracted by the warm body fitted to her back.

She landed on the rooftop of Kara’s building, and paused when Kara didn’t let go, instead seeming to cling a little tighter. Her forehead pressed between Lena’s shoulder blades and after a few minutes of no one moving, Lena bit her lip.

“Kara?”

Kara held her noticeably tighter.

“Could we go to your place?”

And of course Kara’s entire support system was back in Smallville. Lena really needed to learn better social skills.

“Of course we can,” she whispered.

Their take-off was a lot smoother that time, her heart heavier with this responsibility of being there for Kara. That Kara had _chosen_ to be with her felt almost suffocating. Despite the cloak of expectation entirely fabricated by Lena’s mind, she was also a little sickened by how part of her was satisfied at Kara needing her right now.

It was a tight squeeze, but she managed to fit the giant Pegasus on her balcony and Kara hopped off and for some reason lifted Lena off too, as though she was a doll, and effortlessly placed her down on the balcony. The construct disappeared while Lena stared at Kara’s face for probably too long, before she sent her a shaky smile and they headed inside.

🖤💚🖤

Kara declined food, which only added to Lena’s worry. She instead accepted the offer of a shower and when Lena found her again, she was sitting on Lena’s bed, in Lena’s alien pyjamas, smelling warm and welcoming, and Lena’s stomach did a completely uncalled for flip, before pleasantly tightening.

“I should probably stay in the guest room…” Kara awkwardly and uncertainly said. “I haven’t been able to sleep all week, so I don’t want to keep you up.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Lena husked, deciding not to point out that the sun hadn’t even set yet, and walked over to sit beside her. She herself had showered and changed into her grey pyjamas and had planned to watch Hercules in hopes of distracting Kara for a while.

“If it really becomes an issue, you can move later.”

“I'm sorry...” Kara whispered. “I didn't mean to make you feel obligated to let me into your house. I can go back to Smallville. I called Alex and she’s still there—”

Lena took her hand. “I want to be there for you…My relationship with everyone around you could be described as tenuous at best…I didn't want to add any more stress on you. That’s the main reason I stayed away.”

Kara smiled and followed her when Lena got into bed, easily stretching out at her side and resting her head on Lena’s shoulder.

“I was mostly off on my own.”

Lena nodded, her arms wrapped around Kara. “Hal was keeping an eye on you. We don’t have super-hearing so your privacy was always respected, I promise, but I couldn’t risk—”

Kara gave a jerky nod. “I thought I was going to die...I thought he was going to kill me right in front of you, and all I could think about was how much time I wasted not being with you; on not showing you how unbelievably incredible you are…”

“Kara…”

“I was so scared that I would die and you would never have believed how much I loved you…”

Lena ran her fingers through Kara’s hair, feeling her melt at the touch, and tenderly kissed her head. Did she believe it? Would she ever believe it? Should she tell Kara why it was so hard for her to believe? Should she tell her that she loved her back?

Her mind reeled for a long while and Kara just left her to her spiral…

“Kara—”

A soft snore interrupted her, thankfully, and Lena relaxed, smiling as she gently caressed the arm that was securely wrapped around her stomach, her eyes falling shut to the feel of Kara’s steady breaths across her chest.

🖤💚🖤


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I’m aware that the Martian Manhunter is powerful and can actually stand his ground against Superman. But CW Supergirl has him extremely nerfed and/or under-utilized. This fic continues that unfortunate trend, since it’s canon divergent.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

They were at the Tower with the Superfriends. A thing that was apparently happening in spite of Lena’s internal hesitations and out loud reservations. Seated at a round table, Hal and Lena each had an empty chair next to them, while Supergirl leaned against the wall nearest to Lena, eyeing the chair beside her with blatant longing.

Kara and Hal thought that teamwork would save the day, and despite the abrupt and unexpected animosity between the two of them, Lena was resignedly weak to the near identical puppy dog eyes they’d directed at her when making the suggestion. Combined, the power they held was absolutely frightening.

Still, Lena had half-heartedly proposed that maybe she and Hal should deal with Superman-Prime and Kara hadn’t even deigned to offer a response to that. All things considered, Lena was grateful the suggestion had only gone ignored. Instead, Kara invited them to ‘meet everyone’ to ‘come up with a plan showcasing everyone’s individual strengths’. Which in theory was the best course of action, but Lena had too much history with the people in that room.

She stiffly sat beside Hal, mask on and mouth shut while Alex and J’onn interrogated Hal and he tried to remain civil.

Dreamer was polite and curious, and Brainy was just plain curious, which lightened the atmosphere a tiny bit, but Lena being able to create kryptonite from thin air, seemed to have sent Alex into over-protective mode, and J’onn’s questioning was focused on Sinestro being a former Green Lantern as though he was trying to lay blame on the Corps for Superman’s death and Kara being in danger. Hence Hal’s agitation.

She was ready to just up and leave when Kara softly spoke and Lena’s entire being deflated.

“Prime was so strong…Shouldn't Kal have been able to match him at the very least? It was three of us against him before the Green Lantern showed up, and we couldn’t stop him…” She looked around the room with earnest blue eyes that had everyone lower their hackles and sit back in thought.

“I think,” Lena spoke for the first time, “that when the intent is to kill, the way you fight changes...I didn't know Superman, but I know what he stood for, what you stand for. You were trying to subdue and contain, and Prime was trying to destroy...and that’s often the easier route to take…”

J’onn and Hal nodded and Kara hung her head while Alex worriedly watched her, before an icy gaze turned on Lena. “So you’re saying we need to kill him? That’s what the Green Lantern Corps stands for?”

Lena sighed and Hal leaned his shoulder against hers. She’d told him what to expect; finally told him all the horrid details of her recent and volatile history with these people. She hardly blamed Alex for being testy considering the danger Kara was in, but they were overly wary of only select outsiders. For some reason, the Green Lantern’s Superfriends club membership seems to have been revoked.

“We have schematics to build a Phantom Zone Projector,” Hal said.

“Where did you get them?” J’onn asked.

“That’s not your concern. If we can’t kill him, we’ll send him there.”

“You sound almost upset that you can’t kill him,” Alex said.

“We’re upset that we were invited here and yet you seem to think we answer to you.”

“You’re not from Earth. Earth is our responsibility,” J’onn replied.

Lena could almost feel Hal rolling his eyes beside her. “Says the Martian to the human.”

“How far are you in completing it?” Kara asked, warily glancing between the four of them glaring at each other, while Brainy and Dreamer watched it all like a tennis match.

“The plans are currently with a friend, who will build it for us,” Hal answered.

“You don’t trust us with the plans?” Alex baited.

Hal sneered and Lena squeezed his arm, feeling warm that he was angry at them in complete solidarity with her, but that wasn’t going to get them out of that room any sooner.

_“I trust Brainy to build it properly. I should probably focus on controlling my kryptonite constructs to avoid hurting Kara again.”_

Hal nodded. “As a show of good faith, we’ll hand the plans over to Brainiac 5. My colleague and I will train with you, but realistically, only one of us can keep up with Superman-Prime.” The latter part was directed at Kara, who glared at him and then at Lena’s hand still on his arm, and Lena almost laughed out loud, but instead only subtly removed her hand. Kara had hardly said two words directly to Hal since they arrived, and at least Lena now knew the source of the animosity. Hal was being protective since learning of their full history, and Kara, absurdly enough, was jealous. She would need to clear the air between them though, before they were caught up in another perilous fight. If she could get them to look out for each other, she’d be a lot more confident focusing on keeping herself alive.

“We have a training room downstairs,” J’onn said, attempting to move things along. “Brainy can begin work on the Projector while we train.”

“The one thing we have going for us is Superman-Prime’s arrogance,” Hal said, ignoring him. “He’ll show up alone. Our sources confirm that he hasn’t regrouped with the rest of Sinestro Corps. Most likely because he won’t admit failure.”

“Which means he won’t stop,” Alex said.

“Which could be a good thing and his anger at failing gets him to make a mistake—”

“Or he comes back more prepared and focused on his task,” Kara finished for Hal.

“Supergirl and I will distract him,” Hal said, getting up from his seat and everyone followed. “My colleague or I, will weaken him with kryptonite when we have the opportunity to safely do so, and you two,” he motioned to Brainy and Dreamer, “will protect the Martian Manhunter, while he operates the Phantom Zone Projector.”

Everyone nodded.

“We’ll need to be fast and create an opportunity to open the portal without getting anyone else sucked in with him.”

“Guess that means we’ll be doing some trust-fall exercises…” Dreamer said, smile fading when no one laughed and Lena felt bad about that, but the tension between her, Hal, Alex and J’onn was palpable. She was surprised that Hal’s plan and taking control of the situation was so easily accepted. But whatever their faults, the Superfriends were smart enough to recognise that they needed the Green Lanterns more than Lena and Hal needed them.

“Let’s head to the training room,” J’onn said. “We can discuss strengths, weaknesses, and whether there are any differentiations between Prime and other Kryptonians we need to take into account.”

He walked out, followed by Dreamer and Brainy, but Kara paused, looking at where Alex had Lena pinned beneath a glare and Hal had stopped to wait for her.

“We’ll be down in a sec, Supergirl,” Alex said, eyes not leaving Lena’s face.

 _“I’ll see you down there._ ”

Only after that, did Hal leave and Kara only followed after a nod from Lena.

Familiar with intimidation tactics, Lena sat down and Alex moved to pick up her tablet from the table and leaned against it, looming over her. Textbook bad cop tactics, with no good cop in sight.

“What’s your endgame here, Lena?” Alex asked, and Lena was grateful for the mask that hid most of her surprise.

“Kara told you…”

She wasn’t sure why she felt so betrayed by that. She’d never asked Kara not to tell… Did she want to remain anonymous? From the public at large, certainly. But did she care whether these people knew her secret? Not really, no. Would’ve been nice to come out herself though.

At least she now knew why the Green Lantern had been kicked out of the Superfriends club...

Alex tapped away at the tablet, flipped it over, and showed Lena a variety of high-resolution pictures of Supergirl pressing the Green Lantern up against the lighthouse, thankfully taken from above, so Lena maintained some of her modesty.

“I figured it out when these pornographic images surfaced a few days ago and I was forced to scrub them from existence, something I wish I could do to my brain.”

“Still don’t see how those pictures revealed my identity.”

“Kara can't act to save her life.”

“Except when hiding her identity.”

“When are you gonna get it into that thick skull of yours, that Supergirl is a part of her?” Alex incredulously asked. “Does she use the suit as a shield and to express anger and pull on a cloak of strength? On occasion, yes. But she only ever lied to you about Kara and Supergirl being the same person. And since she’s both of them, she was always herself around you.”

Lena hung her head. Wanting to name memories of having to deal with a harsh Supergirl and a soft Kara in the span of minutes, but she frankly didn’t care to explain. She and Kara were talking about those moments. About how manipulative those actions were, despite being motivated by Kara’s desperate need to protect their friendship. It was their private business, though.

“I knew that you were the Green Lantern, because one second I’m dealing with my sister’s gay awakening and learning she’s fallen for a _Luthor,_ and the next she’s fucking someone up against a historical heritage site. _Of course_ , I immediately knew you had to be the same person.”

“Don’t be crass,” Lena half-heartedly said. Feeling guilt over the destruction they’d caused to the monument. Sometimes things that were broken, couldn’t ever be fully repaired.

“If this is some convoluted way of getting back at her...I swear to god, Lena…”

“You swear what?” she asked, tilting her head with a dry chuckle. “How special am I to be constantly both over and underestimated? Do you think if I wanted to be a threat to Kara, that you could stop me? That anyone could? Especially now when I have been gifted these powers?”

Alex opened her mouth, no doubt to threaten her some more, but Lena powered on.

“You forget, Alex, that whenever you failed to protect her, _I_ was there to save Kara. Do you seriously think that saving her once again is all part of some drawn out master plot of revenge?”

“You pretended that you forgave her and then cruelly destroyed her with your betrayal!” Alex angrily hissed and bile rose in Lena’s throat, but she breathed steadily and met Alex’s angry glare. “Fact of the matter is, you _are_ a Luthor. You proved that when you did what you did. I knew supporting your friendship would come to bite us all in the ass.”

“And you anticipated this with your sisterly clairvoyance?”

“Your mother, your brother…your father was dubious at best. What else was I supposed to do? I’d rather keep Kara safe and be wrong than the alternative.”

“And you, of course, had this same energy for Winn “Serial Killer Daddy” Schott and Mon “Genocidal Mommy” El?”

“They didn’t have it out for Supers. Your brother is back at it again with his anti-alien propaganda. See how you lot can’t change? Next thing we know, Cadmus will be up and running again, powered by Luthor Corp resources, pulling deadly weapons from your massive kryptonite cache.”

“I see. My family aren’t the right kind of criminals.”

“You’re being deliberately obtuse.”

“You’re being a gigantic hypocrite.”

“I won’t support this relationship.”

“You should trust Kara’s judgement more often.”

“I did, when she told me you could be trusted. And then I found her in tears in a block of kryptonite infused ice!”

Lena ducked her head. “Kara and I, are working through our past.”

“Then do so without fucking her up against a lighthouse wall for the world to see!”

“I will fuck your sister wherever she wants me to.”

“So part of your plan is to discredit her? Supergirl stands for something. Children look up to her. Wasn’t it enough that you broke her heart, you wanna destroy her reputation, too?”

Lena scowled. “Has it ever, maybe fleetingly, occurred to you, that I might care about Kara? That her belief in me strengthened me during a time that I needed it most? That learning our friendship might’ve all been a farce, had actually hurt me so deeply that it caused me to act irrationally?”

“That’s your excuse?”

“No, it’s an explanation. Everyone deserves a second chance but me?”

“Everyone isn’t fucking my sister!”

“So we’re stuck on that.”

“She lo—cares about you so much that it terrifies me when you’re in her life. Even before she knew what it was, she threw everything into this friendship with you. Defended you against anyone who dared try to warn her that you were dangerous. You hold her bare heart in your hands and what am I supposed to do? Stand back and watch you crush it? _Again_?”

Lena lifted her chin. “I won’t hurt her again.”

“I will literally kill you if you do.”

She hummed. “Are we done here? I’d like to see if I can fuck Kara up against this Tower.”

Alex laughed bitterly. “Are you really this arrogant, this self-assured, this certain that she’ll choose and forgive you, over and over again?”

“I actually have no idea what the future holds. Being this open with Kara terrifies me as much as my presence in her life does you. What you perceive as arrogance, is me not caring about your opinion on this matter.”

Alex snorted. “You’ve changed. Kara might not see it, yet. But you’re not the Lena she knew two years ago.”

“And thank god for that. That Lena allowed people to walk all over her. To disregard her feelings. To use her to help them defeat threats, to save the world, and then throw her away until the next time they needed her.”

She got up so Alex wasn’t staring down at her anymore and removed her mask. “ _That_ Lena naively thought that _you_ were her friend. That you’d bonded over a mutual love of science. Over saving Sam. Over talks of adoption and pursuing your wants with a demanding and dangerous career. _That_ Lena was a fool to have ever trusted you.”

Alex’s lips parted in shock and Lena swallowed thickly.

“Kara always believed in me despite you and the world trying to convince her otherwise. She made some mistakes and I made some mistakes, and we’re working on the consequences of those together. You were only ever my friend when it suited you and when you felt alone and abandoned. Once that passed, it was as though our friendship never existed. So no, Alex. Your opinion no longer holds any value to me,” she said and wasn’t even surprised when she opened the door to Kara and Hal, arms crossed and stubbornly staring at each other, while they waited on her.

🖤💚🖤

Kara hung back with her when they walked to the training room, Alex and Hal up ahead, discussing Superman-Prime. Lena was given an appraising look by Kara’s big sister, before Alex decided against whatever else she would say and focused on Hal instead.

“You soundproofed the room.”

“It’s rude to eavesdrop, Supergirl.”

Kara had the decency to look embarrassed. “I was worried. She seemed harder on you than on Hal. I thought she liked you for saving my life, but I’m not sure what’s up with her today. What did she want?”

“She knows who I am.”

Kara stopped outside the training room and glared at Alex who lifted a brow in challenge and followed Hal inside, leaving them alone in the corridor.

“How?”

“She saw pictures of Supergirl kissing the Green Lantern and since she knew what was happening between us, drew the correct conclusions. Also, I doubt my disguise would work if anyone’s spoken to me before.”

“You believed my costume of no glasses and undone hair…”

“No. I believed you and what you were telling me.”

“Oh…”

“Yes.”

“I-I’ll talk to her, Lena. Tell her to back off. Was she rude to you?”

“Alex and I are big girls, don’t worry about us, okay?”

Kara lifted a brow, sceptical, most likely planning on going to Alex to ask what happened, but Lena had meant what she told Alex. She didn’t give a fuck. Focusing on mending the relationship between her and Kara was as much emotional energy she was willing to spend. She wasn’t going to let anyone else put more shit on her.

She lifted on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to Kara’s lips, whose eyes fell shut and she smiled widely. Lena took the opportunity to take her hand and lead her into the training room, grateful for a Kara still high on the honeymoon phase, where a little kiss still worked as distraction.

🖤💚🖤

They should’ve anticipated that Kara wasn’t going to be able to simply hit her. It took some persuasion, but eventually Kara threw a weak punch and Lena lifted a shield that blocked the impact and Kara grinned as though Lena had eradicated world hunger.

“Again,” Hal said.

The second punch was faster, followed by a spinning heel kick. Kara was cheating by projecting them to land about an inch from Lena’s person, but at least they could get into a nice rhythm as she picked up speed.

“Heat glare!” J’onn shouted and it was like she’d been conditioned, because two beams headed to Lena who blocked it easily and yet Kara still looked apologetic.

“Freeze breath!” Lena shouted and Kara nodded, another shield stopping the rush of glacial air. Kara was giving her far too much time to respond, but at least Lena could work on adjusting her shields to each Kryptonian power.

When she blocked another heat glare with a shield, Kara pouted.

“Can’t you make something cooler?”

“Didn’t realise I was here for your entertainment,” Lena said with a smirk as Kara walked closer.

“I know you can do better than shield after shield…At least make them look pretty, Lena…”

“Unicorns and Pegasuses are for private time. Shields are for serious combat.”

“I love it when you talk tactics.”

“Yeah?” Lena’s smile widened and then Kara was kissing her.

A throat cleared. Maybe twice, and Lena was delighted to find Alex glaring at the far wall, J’onn gaping and struck dumb—not concerned which might mean he didn’t know her identity—and Dreamer widely grinning at them.

“This room’s too small,” Hal said rolling his eyes at Lena’s cocky preening. “We need to get Supergirl moving faster and hitting harder. Those are the advantages he has and those are the ones we need to prepare against. If we’re too slow just once, he can kill us with a single hit.”

The mood turned serious again at the reminder and Hal phased through the wall. Alex stared incredulously at the spot he’d just been in, and Lena couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

🖤💚🖤

Outside, in the air, above a green valley, on top of a mountain, she, Hal, J’onn and Kara continued training in seclusion. Lena had started blasting Kara back and after Hal’s words sunk in, with the reminder of Kara’s loss—the world’s loss—they finally began sparring in earnest.

Lena was grossly outmatched and Kara came at her again and again. She only focused on strengthening her shields and trying to keep up with her speed. Hal and J’onn barked instructions they followed like mindless drones. Stripped down to their instincts, Lena glowed with power and Kara’s blue eyes shone with excitement and challenge.

It was exhilarating; the feel of raw power when Kara’s fists connected with her shields. She was magnificent and when Lena was too slow, Kara proved her control once again by turning her fist into a grip at Lena’s shoulder, twisting her in the air and driving her down toward the earth.

A shield bloomed around her and when Kara tried to pull them up, Lena grabbed the back of her neck and crashed their lips together, before they crashed into the ground. Kara moaned and ground down, feverishly kissing her in the massive crater they’d created.

An undetermined amount of time later, Lena came up for air and looked around. Kara sheepishly grinned, got up off of her and helped her up too.

 _“Hal?”_ she asked, after finding the valley empty.

 _“Go get that out of your system. We’ll meet there again in the morning._ ”

“We’re apparently done for the day,” Lena told Kara who she doubted had even noticed they were alone, only confirmed when she confusedly and half-heartedly glanced around before dark eyes settled on her again.

“Race you to your place?” Kara said with a seductive smirk that had Lena’s stomach bottoming out.

🖤💚🖤

Lena lay lewdly spread across her bed, an arm covered her eyes, chest heaving, and her entire body blissfully boneless and buzzing from her latest orgasm. Kara’s warm tongue gave one last slow lick across her folds, tenderly kissed her mound, and then the bed dipped as her weight settled beside her.

Long minutes passed and Lena nearly fell asleep as Kara gently blew cooling air across her heated skin, caressing gentle fingers in its wake to keep her from getting too cold. Dragging her arm away from her face, Lena looked up into crystal blue, shining with love and adoration that made her chest clench.

Most distractingly though, Kara was wide awake. Lena had made her come at least three times, she was certain of it. Once on the balcony, the second time on the floor in the hallway, and the third when she’d unabashedly rode Kara’s face, her own mouth greedily working between Kara’s thighs.

She’d teased Kara about falling asleep that first night, who had answered that she’d been so excited to see Lena she hadn’t slept, and Lena was so charmed by the confession, she’d fallen to her knees to go down on her.

She scowled.

“What…?” Kara asked, taken aback.

“I don’t like this,” she said, groaning as she got up, her muscles already sore.

“What?” Kara tilted her head in confusion and Lena’s brain thankfully caught up that her words could be misconstrued, but Kara had fucked her to within an inch of her life and her brain was still struggling to process oxygen, so forgive her. She gave Kara a languid kiss, her lips sore and swollen, and hummed, squeezing her thighs together, before pulling away and walking to her closet.

“Would you like some food?”

Kara was still frowning, though looked a little dazed as her eyes followed Lena’s ass into the closet. “Hm?”

Lena smiled in satisfaction, pulled on a silky little grey robe and walked back to the bed, kissing Kara again, gently sucking on her bottom lip. “Are you hungry, Kara?” she asked and Kara was still staring at her mouth, super-sneaky hands beneath Lena’s robe, when her stomach loudly rumbled and she looked down at it and then up into Lena’s face when she laughed.

“I’ll make you breakfast,” Lena announced, hopped off and walked to the kitchen.

It took only a moment for Kara to follow, dressed in Lena’s red robe, still a little confused but she was smiling and they set out making bacon, eggs and toast, despite it being dinner time. Lena got her coffee machine going and while she ate, she downed three strong cups of espresso and Kara eyed her worriedly, but didn’t comment, scarfing down her food.

“I’m gonna take a quick shower,” she said, filling Kara’s third plate, I’ll meet you in the bedroom.

“Uhm, okay.”

The shower was cold and quick and Lena felt refreshed when she stepped into her bedroom, having forgone her robe and found Kara seated in the centre of the bed, also naked, put a pillow in her lap as she bit her lip, a gentle frown still creasing her brow. Lena had been less than ten minutes, but still it had been cruel to leave her in the dark with her odd behaviour. She’d just had an idea and wasn’t sure it would work and needed to see if the caffeine would give her some energy, or knock her out completely.

Lena walked up and stood at the foot of the bed feeling her chest flush and her nipples harden, when Kara’s heated gaze caressed over her nudity.

“I was wondering if…” Lena trailed off, uncertain. She’d never been shy about discussing things she liked and wanted during sex, but this was Kara…

“Yes?”

“Have you—no, of course you haven’t—well I suppose you could’ve, but I doubt it...”

“Lena?”

“Would you be comfortable if I used a strap-on on you?”

Kara’s eyebrows rose as her eyes widened and then her brows knitted and she tilted her head in contemplation. Lena allowed her to process, her heart hammering, but she wasn’t sure if she was nervous, or if the caffeine was kicking in…

“Uhm, okay,” Kara finally answered. “I haven’t tried it before, but the thought of it with you is…exciting.” She then flashed a grin and Lena settled a little, but what had her so nervous was still to come.

Looking up at the ceiling, Lena let her power hum through her and when a little squeak sounded from a gaping Kara, she bit her lip and looked down. She could barely feel the green straps that securely clasped her hips. The material was as light and firm as her suit. The part with the phallus cupped her perfectly and Lena nearly moaned at the thought of pushing into Kara and having their hips slotted together.

She took a shaky breath and checked in with her quiet lover, who had a curious, but open look, and Lena placed a knee on the foot of the bed and Kara threw the pillow she’d had in her lap out the door and down the hallway.

“I’m still not entirely sure what the basic constructs consist of, but I have confirmed that they aren't toxic, or radioactive and will be safe for internal use...”

Kara nodded. “I trust you. Do you want me on my back?”

Lena swallowed down a groan. “For this first time, if you’re okay with that...?” She needed to remain in control, and if she was on top that would help a little. An image of Kara riding her, blond hair wild and messy, back arched and touching her own breasts, flashed unbidden through Lena’s brain, and she exhaled, shuddering as her stomach clenched so violently, it hurt. She was definitely not ready for that particular position yet.

Kara was a lot more relaxed than Lena, mostly because Lena still hadn’t asked her the thing she knew Kara would most likely refuse. But they could still enjoy this and she was almost grateful to lower her head between Kara’s thighs. The subtle scent of oatmeal and honey wafted up her nose, and Lena realised that Kara had showered too. She crawled over her, Kara’s eyes darting between the green construct and Lena’s face.

If Kara had brushed her teeth too after all that egg and bacon, Lena was going to marry her, come hell or high water. She leaned down and moaned into Kara’s mouth when the taste of mint greeted her. Kissing her deeply, Lena dragged her mouth away, shifting to her breasts, getting distracted for a long while there.

She sucked on Kara’s nipples and cupped her breasts, before licking a trail down Kara’s abdomen, finally running her tongue through her folds.

There was no need for more preparation. Kara was already deliciously wet, but Lena couldn’t resist indulging herself, relishing in the breathy sounds that left Kara’s throat.

Only because she was worried that she would grow sleepy, Lena lifted onto her knees and bent over Kara, who rose up to eagerly suck herself off of Lena’s tongue.

Her hips jerked and the construct’s tip slipped against Kara who moaned and ground up to meet it, and Lena languidly rolled her hips to make sure it got covered in Kara’s wetness.

_Lube._

Should she go get some, just in case? Should she try to create some? She reached down and immediately realised that there was no need, though she did make the construct a little smaller to be safe.

“Still good?” she checked in with Kara who was staring down between their bodies with interest and gave a quick nod.

Lena lined up the tip, and it’s been a while for her, so it was all awfully technical, though that was also because it was their first time together like that, but she used her fingers to make sure she was in the right spot, and then gently pushed inside, to which Kara bucked up and took her in one easy stroke, groaning through a little chuckle, and kissed a dumbstruck Lena’s chin.

“I won’t break, Lena,” she teased and Lena released a shaky breath, slowly beginning to move, wiping the smirk from Kara’s face and making her eyes flutter.

When she was easily slipping in and out, Lena made the construct a little bigger, and Kara’s breath hitched, but she was still lithely rolling her hips to meet Lena’s thrusts.

“Would you like it ribbed?”

“Like a condom?”

“Uhm, not exactly.” Lena shifted her weight onto one arm, using her powers to keep herself up and a ribbed dildo appeared in her other hand. “The grooves and ridges cause a bit more friction, it will feel a little strange at first. It’s not for everyone, so don’t feel like you have to like it…”

“Oh,” Kara said, “we can try that, but Lena, we don't need to do any of this, I really enjoy your fing- _oooh_.” Kara's back arched and Lena could feel the added drag against her own centre, as she pumped in and out.

“Good?”

Kara nodded, but her body was tense, her fingers gripping the sheets, and her eyes were screwed tightly shut, and if Lena didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought she was in pain.

“Hold onto me,” Lena softly asked, and Kara’s eyes flew open, ready to object.

This was what had had her so anxious. In the shower, Lena had contemplated creating a red sun construct, and maybe she might in future, maybe install some actual lights… But she didn’t want to weaken Kara for this. She wanted to feel the intensity of all that power coming at her… Wanted to experience Kara letting go as herself.

“I’ve got my shields up, I can take it.”

Kara looked understandably dubious.

“You’ve been throwing me around all day, though I might not be able to take you hitting me at full strength, I can take this.”

“Lena, what if—”

“I know you’re scared of hurting me…I promise you’ll feel it when I lose concentration because everything will disappear—”

“So you’ll have to concentrate the whole time? But then you won’t enjoy it—”

“Oh, I’ll _definitely_ enjoy it.”

“I’m okay, I don’t need—”

“You have to concentrate when you’re with me all the time.” Lena hadn’t meant to say it in such an accusatory tone, and Kara guiltily looked away as though scolded. “And I appreciate that, Kara. So much. Please let me be the one to concentrate now for a couple of hours, while you let go…I have automatic shields as a final precaution, not as strong, but they’ll still protect me…”

“You’ll stop me? You’ll tell me—”

“I promise.” Lena flashed what she hoped was a reassuring smile and kissed her until Kara’s body loosened beneath her.

Her hips began slowly rolling into Kara again and it took a while for her to remember that she still needed to complete the final phase in her plan to create the perfect strap for Kara. Constructing a pillow beneath Kara’s lower back, it lifted her hips, opening her up, and Lena sunk deeper, making penetration that much easier.

Kara softly moaned, her hands tenderly caressing up Lena’s arms and down her waist and she wanted to tell Kara not to distract her, but let her be, intently focused on curving the phallic construct a millimetre at a time, despite her hips continuously rocking into Kara, practically on their own accord.

It felt like attempting to crack a dial safe by ear. Curving upward painstakingly slowly, until finally Kara cried out, throwing her head back, when Lena hit the perfect spot.

She grinned in triumph and Kara mumbled something incoherent through a moan. Lena kissed her in answer, settling more comfortably between her thighs and upped her pace, her shoulders burning as she braced herself.

Kara met her full on, pushing back against her and Lena’s body glowed with the force of her shields to absorb the impact. She could feel if she dropped them, Kara would send her flying right through the ceiling.

She nearly laughed at the visual, but there was an ominous creak from somewhere, and she extended her powers to shield the bedframe, reinforcing its structure as well as the bedding from tearing. Kara seemed off in her own world and Lena would’ve been offended had she not recognized her name ever so often breathed through a moan, or muttered like a little prayer.

She kissed Kara hard, with something akin to pride in her chest, wordlessly encouraging her. Drunk on the show of trust, high on the visage of Kara’s abs, glistening with both of their sweat, all tightened up as Kara impaled herself over and over on Lena’s every thrust, tortuously rubbing the base of the construct against Lena’s centre.

The wet smacking sounds of their bodies colliding salaciously echoed throughout the room and made Lena keenly clench around nothing.

Maybe she was an overachiever. Okay, she was. And combined with her desire to please Kara, she was bound to make a slight miscalculation in her eagerness.

With most of the blood flowing away from her brain, Lena had the bright idea to make the construct vibrate, immediately needing to bite the inside of her cheek when Kara's blunt nails dug into her back, releasing a beautiful cry. Lena’s ass cheeks clenched in response, as a pulsing throb shook her core. She impulsively rocked into Kara harder, growing dizzy with the need to come.

She looked down into Kara’s pretty face, the burn in her arms and stomach muscles starting to feel too good to be a distraction any longer.

“Come on, darling,” she breathlessly coaxed, feeling the way Kara was still holding back. “I’ve got you…”

Kara let out a loud whine, that sounded half anger and half surrender. Her arm wrapped around Lena’s shoulders, pulling her down until their breasts were squished together. Lena shut her eyes at the feel of Kara’s body moving against hers, her hips fucking faster as desperate breaths brushed over her ear.

She shuddered, her arms hooking beneath Kara’s shoulders, gripping her back and god help her, she was going to come, it was all she could do to absorb the impact of Kara slamming up against her.

Kara helped the struggle by grabbing onto her ass, pushing Lena deeper and keeping her there, her thighs squeezing Lena’s hips so tightly, it was near painful even through her shields.

And she should really examine why being so perilously trapped by someone who could crush her like an insect nearly sent her over the edge, but that newfound kink was for later deliberation. Because it was only Lena’s immense satisfaction at hearing Kara’s hoarse cry into her shoulder and feeling her shattering apart beneath her, that allowed Lena to maintain the focus preventing her from being crumpled to death in the best way possible.

She valiantly held off coming until Kara's hips came to a shuddering halt, arms and legs tenderly clinging to her. And when Kara squeezed Lena’s ass, tilting her hips up in silent encouragement, Lena bit into Kara’s neck, muffling a scream as she finally allowed herself to come, hips haphazardly jerking in pleasure, while Kara tightly held her, prolonging her quavering climax.

Lena was still buried deep inside of Kara when she was too sensitive for the vibration and slowed it to a stop. She could only manage to lift her head, her chest swelling when Kara looked as spent as she felt. And maybe it had been an entire process to get her there, but Lena was positive it would go a lot smoother if the mood struck again. Hopefully she’d be able to trust herself to keep up her shields when using her fingers and mouth... Maybe one day they could even try a double-ended dildo…

Humming at the shudder that went through her body, Lena kissed up Kara’s neck, smiling at her breathless bonelessness. She lightly sucked on Kara’s jaw, kissed her cheek, and dragged her teeth over Kara’s earlobe.

“More?” she asked, exhausted, but certain she could pull on some reserves if Kara needed.

Kara laughed, soft and husky, but moaned as she manhandled Lena out between her thighs, the construct disappearing in her confusion and then she was snuggly settled at Kara’s side, strong arms holding her close and Lena weakly fell into her.

“Love you,” Kara sleepily mumbled, kissed her head, and settled back into the pillows, her breaths almost immediately evening out.

Lena lay grinning to herself, her cheek squished to Kara’s breast, until the heart beneath her ear slowed.

“I love you, too.”

🖤💚🖤

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not all orgasms are created equal.
> 
> @NotSoEvilPanda


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Given the overwhelmingly positive response to my drawing in the previous chapter, I've quit my day job and am now fervently pursuing a career as a dildo'd stick-figure artist.
> 
> Thank you for your support, I expect you subscribe to my patreon immediately <3

Apparently, Superman-Prime enjoyed a good mindfuck. Two days since their meeting at the Tower and still he hadn’t made a move. Reports were coming in from Green Lanterns across the universe that Sinestro had pulled back his forces, and the quiet had Lena’s nerves on edge.

Kara’s anxious smile wasn’t helping either.

Neither was the fact that they were entering the Fortress of Solitude. A place Lena had never wanted to be back in, nor expected to be invited to again. She kept quiet though, they needed to pick up a part from the Eradicator that Superman had used to build the Fortress so that it could be used for the Phantom Zone Projector. When Lena had learnt about it, her excitement levels had shot through the roof until she’d heard where it was… Hal was delivering a status report on Oa and there was no way in hell she was going to let Kara go anywhere alone.

They were both in their suits, which helped with the cold and not at all with the memories of what had happened the last time they were there. Kara’s shoulders were stiff and she quickly picked up the tiny part of the disassembled terraformer, and Lena purposely hung far back, not looking at or touching anything, and followed her when Kara walked toward somewhere that wasn’t the exit.

She silently prayed for it to be over, and felt awful because Kara had done a lot of things wrong, but what Lena had done to her, in that space that was so sacred... The space she’d been enthusiastically welcomed into... Where Kara had shown an immense amount of trust by sharing literal parts of her world with Lena…

An apology clung thickly to the knot in her throat and she could barely breathe she was overcome with so much remorse on top of all the emotions she’d felt back then threatening to resurface.

She’d thought she was protecting herself… Kara had to understand that.

“Kara—”

She nearly walked into Kara’s back who’d come to a halt in another room and Lena peeked passed her shoulder and her lips parted as she came face-to-face with Superman’s final resting place. She’d never assumed they would bury him for anyone to find, and a twisted part of her hoped Kara was distracted by her grief to forget what Lena had done. At least until she could muster up the right words to say.

They quietly stood beside each other until Kara eventually spoke.

“Only Lois and Martha, and now you, know that I brought him here.”

The ice he was trapped in was clear like glass, but a computer console was connected to it. His cape lay covering it like a flag over the coffin of a fallen soldier.

“Is his body in stasis?” she asked, her heart beating faster as her mind raced with possibilities.

Kara nodded. “It’s like a memorial. He’ll remain frozen in time and his son will be able to come see him one day. Kelex is busy constructing a hologram AI program for Jonathan, and once I have time, I’ll build a statue to place next to the ones of his parents.”

Lena licked her lips, wanting to ask so many questions about the state of his body, but she couldn’t give Kara that hope. First, she would need to talk to Hal and see whether what she was thinking was even feasible. If he was in stasis, she had time to do some proper research.

“Thank you for showing me…” she said when Kara frowned at the floor in silence for a few long moments.

“When I die,” Kara rasped and Lena’s heart stopped and painfully spasmed. “I’ve asked Alex to bring my body here, too. I’ve prepared a chamber for myself next to this one.”

A suffocating weight settled on Lena’s chest and she struggled to breathe. She wanted to rage against the mere thought, but people often detailed their wishes in a last will and testament. Nothing strange about that… Though those people weren’t due to face the person that was out to murder their bloodline and had a frightening record of success.

“Okay,” Lena shakily husked.

Kara turned to look at her and Lena wanted to warp away, but those blue eyes kept her pinned to the spot.

“My friends and family are being difficult regarding our relationship.”

“They have their reasons.”

“They don’t know you like I do. It’ll take time, but I know they’ll come around. If—if you’re willing to spend some time with them, I know they’ll love you too.”

Lena smiled sadly not sure whether they would ever reach that point. Maybe they would all tolerate each other and secretly hold suspicions, but what she did know was that all of them, herself included, would put on the best of acts to keep Kara happy.

“Maybe,” she conceded, unable to lie out loud.

“Until then,” Kara said, taking a breath. “I know it's morbid and I think with you and Hal, we have a good chance of winning, but if anything happens to me and maybe they don’t tell you…”

Lena’s heart clenched, her stomach twisting unpleasantly.

“Kelex will recognise you as my family.”

“Kara…”

“You could come here whenever you want and see me…”

Lena wrapped her in a hug, body glowing with the force of it, her eyes stung because of the fear that led to Kara needing to make these arrangements, but also because the gesture of trust felt like healing. Like forgiveness. For Kara to bring her here and give her this access after what she’d done…

Lena clung to her, eyes taking in the way Superman looked asleep. No signs of decomposition. She would need to make a gesture back. Kara needed to know that Lena didn’t expect her to do all of the emotional work in their relationship. But until she could make that sweeping gesture, perhaps it was time to be brave and actually tell Kara that she’d loved her for years. Making that confession, would also go a long way in helping Kara understand Lena’s past irrational actions in response to her.

“Kara—”

_“Kara—"_

Because she was pressed up against her, Lena could clearly hear Alex’s voice in Kara’s ear piece.

She stepped out of the embrace with a sigh while Kara took the call, upset that they were interrupted, at Alex sure, but more so at herself and her inability to just say the words out loud.

Why was it so hard? Why did it feel like giving up an immense amount of her power?

“Lena?”

She spun back to Kara, realising she’d wandered over to Superman’s icy crypt and was examining it. Flashing a sheepish smile, she walked back. “Everything okay?”

Kara anxiously bit her lip.

“What?”

“Lex is at the Tower. He’s asked to see me.”

And just like that, Lena realised how much anger she’d let go of, because it all came rushing back to her at once. “Let’s go see him then.”

Kara looked like she would object, but decided against it and then swooped Lena up into a bridal carry. Lena tilted her head fondly, arms wrapped around Kara’s neck and waited.

It took longer than she thought it would. Kara had her knees bent to take off and everything, until she looked down and a pretty blush covered her cheeks.

“Uhm, sorry, I forgot,” she adorably mumbled and set Lena down, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck.

“That’s okay, I’m still getting used to my powers too.”

Kara nodded. “I’ll meet you there?”

“Or,” Lena said, activating her ring and scooped Kara up into her arms who let out an high-pitched yelp that made Lena laugh fondly.

She sobered when Kara’s arms wrapped around her neck and a pretty pout was inches from her face.

“Or I’ll fly you home this time?”

Kara flashed her a grin and Lena kissed her with all the love that was overflowing in her heart.

🖤💚🖤

When they entered, J’onn and Alex stood on one side of the room and Lex pompously preened on the other. A brief flash of irritation crossed his features when he noticed Lena, but seemingly dismissed her to genially smile at Kara. Lena knew he would acknowledge the Green Lantern once he knew more about her. No way he saw her creating the firefighter constructs and wasn’t curious to find out how it was possible.

Kara stepped slightly in front of her and Lena allowed her to, for appearances’ sake.

“What do you want, Lex?” Kara asked.

“Would you believe me if I said I was here to offer condolences?”

“No.”

He chuckled dryly. “I’m here to make you an offer.”

“Not interested.”

“I’m willing to give you access to my kryptonite so you may defeat this bigger and better Superman.”

Ah, he didn’t know Lena could make kryptonite. No one had seen her saving Supergirl that day, or how she’d done it.

“And why would you do that?” Alex asked.

“Just doing my bit to keep Earth safe.”

Alex snorted and Lex scowled, taking a step toward Kara who faltered, stepping back and Lena frowned at her reaction.

“I will assist Supergirl in my lexosuit. We will defeat him using Luthor Corp kryptonite. Kara Danvers will write an exclusive article detailing my heroism and how Supergirl could not have done it without my help. Headlining that once again, humanity has prevailed over our alien invaders.”

“We don’t need your help,” Kara said.

“That wasn’t a request. Or do I need to remind you that I still know your human cover identity,” he replied and stepped closer. Kara bent lightly and stumbled back and Lena realised he had kryptonite on him, because of course he wouldn’t just walk in there unprepared.

She put up a shield over Kara who straightened in relief. She and Hal had been practising making kryptonite while the other shielded Kara.

“Good?” Lena softly asked and received a smile in return, one she would’ve basked in had that familiar anger not bubbled up in her chest.

Turning a glare onto Lex who’d been curiously studying them, a wicked grin spread across Lena’s face.

“I believe Supergirl said that we don’t need you.”

A flash of recognition crossed his features at the sound of her voice, and he seemed to struggle to decipher what about her was so familiar. Lena’s smirk broadened and she encased him in a cube of jelly. It was thick and blocked his mouth, ears and eyes. The mere thought of the suffocating feel of it had Lena twitching with discomfort, so she let it disappear after a torturously long moment and Lex fell to his hands and knees, gasping for air while she walked closer and stared at him.

Crouching down, she removed her mask, waiting for him to gain control of his wheezing and meet her gaze. His eyes grew wide in surprise.

“Do you remember why I killed you the first time?”

His gaze shifted to Kara and a disembodied green hand grabbed his chin forcing him to look back at her.

“Don't look at her,” she warned, body glowing.

Lex sneered, still breathing hard.

“As I recall, Lex, I killed you because you threatened the woman I love.”

A soft gasp was heard from behind her.

“You love me?” Kara’s awed voice spoke. “Or you loved me then? But I ruined it and you don’t anymore. Or did you mean as a friend—”

“Supergirl…” Alex’s voice was half amusement, half chastisement and Lena wanted to send Kara a reassuring smile and kiss her adorable face off, but Lex needed to be dealt with first and just seeing Kara these days, made her not feel so angry anymore.

Lex scoffed, clearly thinking he could still control her. When he tried to get up, green chained cuffs wrapped around his wrists and ankles, anchoring him to the floor. Lena rose to her full height and had the hand-construct lift his chin so he was awkwardly glaring up at her.

“Did you know that I don't need to be present for my powers to manifest in a certain place?”

A tap sounded at one of the windows, showing Lex’s car on a floating green platform. Lena had seen it parked outside when they arrived. The area was thankfully secluded enough to allow her to take such liberties with her powers.

“All I need to do is think it, and it happens.” A dark smile spread across her face and she had a snake slither up his arm. “Imagine you, peacefully sleeping in bed, and a snake construct slowly wraps around your throat…”

The construct did as she said and finally she had him cowering in fear. Unable to resist the temptation, the snake constricted his throat until his face grew purple and a vein protruded on his forehead.

“Nod if you understand,” she instructed, smirking when he gave an obstinate nod.

Lex didn't scare easily. Even when he did, he went underground to plan his revenge. Lena almost hoped that he would. She had numerous ways to incapacitate him and almost hoped he would try coming after her. She wanted to kill him so badly, right then and there, but she was trying to be good. She would never admit it out loud, but killing him had broken something inside of her.

She released him from his bounds and had two hand-constructs lift him onto his feet.

“My brother is dead,” she blankly told him. “If you’re intent on following that same path, I guarantee that you’ll end up the same way.”

She held his gaze and when the fear left his eyes to stare back defiantly, Lena hurled him out the window. His scream could be heard fading and then abruptly stopped. J’onn and Alex were staring down through the broken glass and Lena felt Kara’s eyes burning into her face, but her focus was on Alex who turned and widely smirked.

“His driving off. Good job scaring the shit out of him, Luthor.”

The ‘Luthor’ was said in an almost affectionate tone, but Lena didn’t have much time to think about what that meant for her relationship with Alex, because Kara’s mouth crashed onto hers, kissing her like no one should kiss anyone in front of their sister.

 _“We’ll leave you to that then…”_ Alex’s awkward voice sounded in the background, Lena couldn’t focus on much else.

Her entire body was on fire and when Kara allowed her to come up for air, she laughed lightly.

“You find it hot when I threaten people?”

“I find it hot when you defend me.”

“Secret damsel fetish?”

“All depends on the dashing princess coming to save me,” Kara said and kissed her again.

🖤💚🖤

It was some time later, and Kara had Lena pinned against the wall of the meeting room. Just kissing her had become one of Lena’s vices, as addictive as the alcohol she used to drown herself in to help her forget.

Has she replaced her scotch with Kara’s mouth?

Lena pulled away for oxygen and melted at the lips in her neck.

“Do you think you could make that strap-on construct on me too?” Kara husked and Lena’s legs wobbled at the thought of Kara, thrusting into her, and Lena with all the control in the world to mould the construct to her pleasure… A little whine escaped her throat, and Kara released a downright filthy chuckle that had Lena’s toes curling in delight.

“We need to go patrol the city,” she half-heartedly mumbled.

Kara nodded and tenderly nuzzled her, holding her close and Lena fell into the gentle touch, as addicted to the simple intimacy as she was to the hot, steamy, sex.

“Before we fought,” Kara thickly said. “I thought of you as perfect. I know that's a lot to put on someone, but you were this perfect CEO, perfect scientist, and the most perfect friend I ever had...”

Lena leaned back, to look at Kara’s face who earnestly stared back. “I blindly defended you to everyone, without doubt or hesitation...”

“And then I made kryptonite.”

Kara nodded. “Now, after everything, I finally understand why you were making it. But back then, it was my perfect Lena who made something I never thought she would, because I was so caught up in my own perfect vision of you…”

“And now that you know I'm not perfect?”

“Now, I still think you’re perfect. Seeing you stand up for yourself against your family, my family, against me...Having the world meet the Green Lantern and seeing you as the hero you've always been...To me, you feel more perfect than ever and...and it's scary.”

Lena scoffed. “That I'm perfect?”

“That I might mess up and lose you again.”

“Oh,” she said, sobering. “Chances are good that I’ll mess up first…”

“If you do, I promise not to give up on you, if you promise to do the same for me.”

Smiling, she took the hand Kara reached out to her. “Promise.”

Kara grinned.

“I love you,” Lena said, remembering that for some reason, Kara doubted it.

Kara’s expression, the surprise and utter joy… Lena was happy that they were alone so she could simply bask in the absolute adoration on Kara’s face and fuse it into her memory banks for future reference.

Realising she was just staring down at her, Kara shyly ducked her head, still grinning like mad and squeezed Lena’s hand, letting a thumb brush across the power ring. She then did a double-take, examining it closely. And Lena realised she hadn’t really showed it to Kara before. She should properly show her the Lantern too. Start to be more open instead of being too scared to fall back into that friendship they had. The one that had left Lena feeling empty when it wasn’t there anymore. No break-up had ever made her feel like that…

“Oh Roa, how will I compete with this when I propose?” Kara mumbled, then froze, mouth gaping and panic rose in her eyes.

Biting back a chuckle, Lena gently cupped her cheeks. “It's okay. We can pretend you never said that, or I can answer with the happy smile that statement caused. You choose.”

“Smile, please.”

Lena grinned and Kara grinned back, but her smile dropped at the message blasting in her brain.

_“Ring Status Report: Green Lantern 179; Deceased. Space Sector 179 scan for replacement sentient initiated.”_

“Lena?”

🖤💚🖤

She burst out onto the rooftop of the Tower just as Hal landed and took her by the shoulders. Kara had followed, but gave them space, staying by the door. The message had named two more deceased Lanterns and Lena desperately looked up into Hal’s concerned features.

“What’s happening?” she whispered.

“First deactivate the ring status report, you don’t need to be hearing that right now.”

Lena instructed her ring and warily glanced at him. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” he asked.

“I love that you want to protect me, but if something is happening that places me, or anyone I care about in danger, or has to do with this war, you need to tell me.”

“Apparently Superman-Prime has been hanging back because Sinestro Corp has launched a simultaneous galaxy-wide attack.” Lena stomach knotted. “There’s a full-on assault on Oa. Parallex has been released from the Central Power Battery…Reports of attacks on Mogo, Ryut, Ysmault, Maltus, Zamaron and Nok, have already come in and no doubt more will follow.”

“Hal, you need to go.”

“I promised you I’d stay.”

Her chest tightened, because when had anyone ever cared enough about the promises they’d made her?

“I know, and would rather have you here, but I understand why you need to go.”

He still looked torn.

“I know you have a history with Parallex. And I know these attacks are happening to leave everyone at a disadvantage and Oa less protected.”

Hal hung his head.

“Go,” Lena rasped. “I can handle this.”

He nodded and then hugged her so tightly Lena almost cried. “I know you can.”

Her eyes burned, but she kept her tears back, hoping it’ll make it easier for him to leave.

“I’ll take care of Prime, don’t worry. And then I’m gonna come to Oa and save your ass.” She flashed him a shaky smirk and he gave a choked chuckle, still shrouded in worry before hugging her again.

“Be careful, okay?” he said into her hair. “And call me if you need me.”

“I will. You too.”

He held her a little longer and Lena was grateful for the time to compose herself.

Clearing his throat, he let go and looked toward Kara still in the doorway. “Anything happens to her, I’ll create a red sun and throw you into it.”

“Hal!” Lena shouted, but Kara only nodded.

“I’ll protect her,” she intently promised and Hal shot up into the sky and was gone a second later.

Lena’s chest clenched and ached. Worried to be fighting without him, even more, knowing what he was flying into and the memories it held for him. But most of all, her heart felt big and warm that he’d taken it upon himself to warn Kara. No one’s ever done that before. Not for her.

Before, Lena had wanted to defeat Superman-Prime to keep Kara safe, but now she wanted to do it to make him proud too. She was determined to survive and go fight beside him and give him the support he’d given her without any expectation.

Maybe it was a testament of how well they’d come to know each other that Kara knew to only wrap her in her arms and hold her there for a moment until she could steady herself again.

🖤💚🖤

They remained on the rooftop, out in the open and decided to wait on Prime to make an appearance. With Sinestro’s plan in motion, the window of opportunity for Prime to attack had narrowed. He would definitely do it soon, no doubt hoping the kryptonite wielding Lanterns had been called to Oa.

The hours ticked by slowly. Nia came by and fed them and Lena couldn’t eat, but Kara made her. The food landed heavily in her knotted stomach and she felt she would be sick with nerves had Kara not taken her hand and held it. Not saying anything, just gently rubbing her thumb across Lena’s knuckles. Rhythmically and soothingly until Lena was in a light stupor, ready to accuse her of having magic, but then Kara tensed, head jerking up toward the sky, her hand nearly crushing Lena’s, thankfully waking her from her daze.

Above them, Superman-Prime hovered, wearing an anti-kryptonite suit that Lena immediately recognised as Luthor Corp technology.

“Lex,” she hissed. “I’m going to kill him.”

“ _Not if I get him first_ ,” Alex muttered in her ear piece. She was still a little stiff, but with a whole lot less animosity.

“ _Why would Lex help him?”_ Nia asked. “ _Not like he can control him to do his bidding.”_

“He sees us as the bigger threat to his image,” Lena answered. “Prime takes us out, and becomes an actual Kryptonian threat, unlike Kara who the people see as a hero. Lex finally has a Super to antagonize with Earth’s full support.”

Kara nodded. “We follow the plan,” she said, all serious and stern and Lena bit her lip, needing to look back at Prime to not be entirely distracted by that. “I’ll get you an opening, Lena,” she finished and then shot off into the sky and Lena panicked, then remembered the first part of the plan was to lead him out of the city.

She cloaked herself and followed behind the blurs and found them clashing above the mountain top they’d trained in.

Alex was back at the tower watching, but J’onn, Brainy, and Dreamer, were already there and waiting with the Phantom Projector. Lena was cloaking them from sight too.

Like before, she couldn’t keep up with their speed. She didn’t know whether Kara was being hurt or not and her eyes frantically flitted along with the blurs, the hits they landed cracking like thunder, the clouds disguising what was happening to the rest of the world.

A piece of metal went flying across the valley, cutting clear through a tree trunk and embedded in the rocky surface of a boulder. Lena frowned, but didn’t go closer to examine it, because Kara had instructed that they stay where they said they would. It was important so she could manoeuvre Prime into position so Lena could blast him with kryptonite and J’onn with the Phantom Zone Projector, immediately after that.

Another crackling hit and Kara’s body followed nearly the same trajectory as the piece of metal and Lena wanted to throw up, but she blasted Prime to distract him and he seemed to spot her through her cloak. He might not be able to see her, but Kara had confirmed that the miniscule vibration of the forcefield could be felt by Supers.

She got her shields ready for his attack, the kryptonite ready to form, but instead of him coming at her, he moved so fast, it looked like he disappeared from sight. And then he had the Phantom Projector in his hands, ripping it apart.

 _“No!”_ Kara screamed from clear across the valley, and J’onn punched him a second too late. A blue wave flew from Dreamer’s hands, knocking him back and then Kara was on him again. Keeping him from hurting anyone.

Lena lowered her cloaks and flew over to Brainy.

“Can it be fixed?”

Brainy shook his head, staring at the mangled metal in his hands. “Not soon enough.”

“Okay,” she breathed out and looked to the blurring lines streaking across the sky. “Plan B it is,” she said and turned to J’onn. “Get them out of here.”

He looked about to object, but the more people up there, the more people there were to distract Kara.

 _“Get out of there. J’onn you can come get me,”_ Alex instructed and they all reluctantly left.

Two minutes later and another piece of metal went flying through the air, then another a few seconds later. Kara was slowly but surely stripping Prime of his armour and Lena both wished she could see her fighting and was grateful that she couldn’t see him hitting her back.

More armour flew and really the first piece would’ve been enough to expose him, but the fighting didn’t slow.

“Come on, darling, you need to give me a shot…” she softly said, knowing both of them could hear her.

The streaks continued for a few minutes and then Prime roared like he had that day Lena had blasted him the first time. A roar that was choked off by Kara’s arm around his neck. Heart thundering in her chest, Lena watched as Kara’s legs wrapped around his arms, keeping him in the chokehold. Both their faces were red with strain and Lena realised that Kara was going to kill him.

“Kara…” she whispered, wondering if she had any right to stop her.

The two figures slowly lowered to the ground and Lena didn’t know if it was Prime or Kara, but when they were about a foot from the surface, Kara hissed and seemed to tighten her hold, jerking them to a halt. The muscles in her arms and thighs bulged with effort.

Lena’s heart did a flip and her stomach tightened. Her brain later caught on that Prime must’ve lowered them, attempting to use his legs and the ground for some leverage, because Kara wasn’t letting him move an inch. But her brilliant Kryptonian had anticipated his plan, foiling it with brute strength and skill. She must’ve been hurting though, exerting all of that force…

“Kara,” she softly said again, watery blue eyes locked onto her, tears streaming down her face and Lena wanted to kill him too. So badly.

“Plan B, okay?”

“I can’t look at his face!” Kara screamed back and Lena’s own eyes burned with tears.

“I know, darling. I’ll change it. He doesn’t deserve that face,” she said with such certainty and venom that for the first time, she saw fear in his expression as he probably wondered if and how she could do that.

“Okay,” Kara said, “do it.”

Lena felt the glow of her body and looked him directly in his eyes and focused. He screamed almost instantly.

“You can let him go now,” she said. Kara released him and he fell to the ground. “It really is amazing how similar our physiologies are, isn’t it…?” she asked no one in particular as she continued to fill his veins with microscopic kryptonite constructs, a dark part of her needing to make him scream a little while longer. But she wondered if the sound would remind Kara of Kal, so she quickly wrapped him in kryptonite cuffs, disappearing the constructs in his bloodstream that would have killed him if left a few seconds longer.

J’onn showed up with Alex who sent her a firm nod, before securing an unconscious Prime with DEO requisitioned kryptonite cuffs and allowing Lena’s concentration to finally settle on Kara who, quite literally, flew into her arms.

“We’ll see you guys back home,” Alex said and left Kara there in Lena’s embrace and she thought maybe one day everything would be okay between them.

🖤💚🖤

After a hot meal, and a good sleep, wrapped around a gorgeous blond cuddle monster, Lena was followed into the sky by Kara, who’d been kissing her non-stop for almost half an hour.

“I’ll wait for you,” Kara theatrically announced. Lena had checked in with Hal after they beat Prime and he’d helped her attune to the homing beacon on Oa, where the war was still raging on and she was bound to be introduced to the Guardians of the Universe.

“Tell our children about their father,” Lena said, just as dramatically, tenderly cupping Kara’s cheek.

“Every night before bed. Your picture will be on their bedside tables.”

“As it should be.” Lena nodded sagely. “Think of me always.”

“I’ll remember nothing else.”

Lena grinned and was about to kiss her again when Kara tilted her head.

“Or…”

“Yes?” she carefully asked.

“I have this ring that helps me breathe in space…”

“Kara—”

“When you were talking to Alex, Hal was casually explaining to me exactly how he can make a red sun, so he must be able make a yellow one too if Oa’s system doesn’t have one already.”

“Kara…”

“You and me, together. From now on, okay? We’ll warp back and check on everyone here on occasion, but I need to help—”

“Okay—”

“Sinestro Corps is a danger to the entire uni—okay?” Kara frowned.

“Yes. You’re allowed to make your own decisions. Even when they scare me, I’m not going to prohibit you from going anywhere you want to go. Honestly, if it was you flying off to war, I would most likely have followed, with or without a power ring to aid me.”

Kara’s smile made Lena’s heart feel filled to capacity.

“Sinestro’s going down.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh.” Kara pulled her closer. “Don’t you know? Nothing can compare to the might of a Kryptonian and a Green Lantern, working together.”

🖤💚🖤

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI Supergirl is canonically stronger than Superman.
> 
> Anyway, this story has been a blast, I had so much fun writing it and I hope you did too, reading it. Thank you again for your support with the kudos. As always, special thanks to those of you taking the time to leave a comment.
> 
> Much appreciated.
> 
> You can follow me on tumblr or twitter @NotSoEvilPanda
> 
> If you ask me whether there will be a sequel to this fic, my response will most likely be: I don't know ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Stay safe and healthy <3
> 
> xx

**Author's Note:**

> Green Lantern powers are unbelievable, in every sense of the word. I'm gonna try to insert pictures where I can for reference so don't worry if you have no Lantern knowledge.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this fic <3
> 
> @NotSoEvilPanda


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